Hydrocarbon combustion power generation system with CO2 sequestration

ABSTRACT

A low or no pollution engine is provided for delivering power for vehicles or other power applications. The engine has an air inlet which collects air from a surrounding environment. At least a portion of the nitrogen in the air is removed. The remaining gas is primarily oxygen, which is then routed to a gas generator. The gas generator has inputs for the oxygen and a hydrocarbon fuel. The fuel and oxygen are combusted within the gas generator, forming water and carbon dioxide. The combustion products are then expanded through a power generating device, such as a turbine or piston expander to deliver output power for operation of a vehicle or other power uses. The combustion products are then passed through a condenser where the steam is condensed and the carbon dioxide is collected or discharged. A portion of the water is routed back to the gas generator. The carbon dioxide is compressed and delivered to a terrestrial formation from which return of the CO2 into the atmosphere is inhibited.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 10/153,080 (filed on May 21, 2002) which is a continuation ofU.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/746,289 (now U.S. Pat. No.6,389,814) which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.09/023,336 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,170,264), which is acontinuation-in-part of International Application No. PCT/US97/17006which designates the United States for a continuation-in-partapplication of U.S. Pat. No. 5,680,764.

[0002] This application incorporates by reference the contents of U.S.Pat. No. 5,709,077.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0003] This invention contains environmentally clean engine designs thatemit zero or very low pollutant levels during operation. The CLEAN AIRENGINE (CLAIRE) invention is directly applicable to both transportationtype vehicles including automobiles, trucks, trains, airplanes, shipsand to stationary power generation applications. The designs featurehybrid, dual cycle and single cycle engines. More specifically, thisinvention relates to low or no pollution generating hydrocarboncombustion based power generation systems which isolates and conditionscarbon dioxide (CO2) generated in the system for injection andsequestering into terrestrial formations such as underground geologicalformations and oceans.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The current art in generating power for transportation purposesbasically utilize the internal combustion gas or diesel engine. Thecurrent art for electric power generation utilize gas turbines and/orsteam turbines. These devices burn hydrocarbon fuels with air whichcontains (by weight) 23.1% oxygen, 75.6% nitrogen and the remaining 1.3%in other gases. The emissions resulting from the combustion of fuels forinternal combustion engines (gasoline or diesel), with air contain thefollowing pollutants that are considered damaging to our airenvironment. These smog causing pollutants, are: total organic gases(TOG); reactive organic gases (ROG); carbon monoxide (CO); oxides ofnitrogen (NOx); oxides of sulfur (SOx); and particulate matter (PM).Approximately one half of the total pollutants emitted by all sources ofair pollution in California are generated by road vehicles (EmissionInventory 1991, State of California Air Resources Board, preparedJanuary 1994). The major source of this vehicle pollution comes frompassenger cars and light to medium duty trucks.

[0005] No near term solutions appear in sight to drastically reduce thevast amount of air pollutants emitted by the many millions ofautomobiles and trucks operating today. Based on the State of CaliforniaAir Resources Board study, the average discharge per person inCalifornia of the air pollutants from mobile vehicles, monitored by thisagency during 1991 and reported in 1994, was approximately 1.50 lb/dayper person. With a nationwide population of over 250,000,000 people,this data extrapolates to over 180,000 tons of air borne emissions perday being discharged in the USA by mobile vehicles. Also, the number ofcars and miles that are being driven continue to increase, furtherhampering efforts to reduce smog causing pollutants.

[0006] Allowable emission thresholds are rapidly tightening by Federaland State mandates. These allowable emission reductions are placingsevere demands on the transportation industry and the electric powergenerating industry to develop new and lower emission power systems.

[0007] Although considerable effort is being directed at improving therange of electric zero emission vehicles (ZEV) by developing higherenergy capacity, lower cost storage batteries, the emission problem isbeen transferred from the vehicle to the electric power generatingplant, which is also being Federally mandated (Clean Air Act Amendmentsof 1990) to reduce the same air toxic emissions as those specified forautomobiles and trucks.

[0008] The current world wide art of generating power for consumers ofelectricity depends primarily on fossil fuel burning engines. Theseengines bum hydrocarbon fuels with air. As described above, combustionof fossil fuels with air usually produce combustion products thatcontain a number of pollutants. Current Unites States regulatoryrequirements prescribe the amounts of the atmospheric pollutantspermitted in particular locations. Allowable pollutant thresholds aredecreasing over time and thereby putting more and more pressure onindustry to find better solutions to reduce these emissions ofpollutants in the electric power generating industry and other powergenerating industries.

[0009] Other energy sources being developed to solve the emissionsproblem, by exploiting non combustible energy sources include fuel cellsand solar cells. Developers are solving many of the technological andeconomic problems of these alternate sources. However, widespread use ofthese energy sources for vehicles and for electric power generatingfacilities do not appear to yet be practical.

[0010] In addition to the emission of pollutants, combustion based powergeneration systems also generate significant amounts of carbon dioxide(CO2). While CO2 emissions are currently not regulated in the UnitedStates, concern has been voiced by experts over the release of CO2 andother greenhouse gases into the environment. One method for eliminatingthe formation of CO2 in combustion based power generation systems is toutilize hydrogen as the fuel rather than a hydrocarbon fuel. Use ofhydrogen as a fuel has many drawbacks including the highly flammable andpotentially explosive nature of hydrogen when in a gaseous state, thesignificant energy required to maintain hydrogen in a liquid state, thelow density of hydrogen requiring large volumetric storage capacity andthe fact that all present commercial production of hydrogen comes fromfossil fuels which also yield CO2 as a by-product.

[0011] Some attention has recently been given to the concept ofseparating the CO2 from other combustion products and then disposing ofthe CO2 by injecting it into deep porous geological formations or deepinto the earth's oceans where environmental impacts of the release ofthe CO2 would be minimized. Interest in such terrestrial formationdisposal techniques is exemplified by the recent issuance by the UnitedStates Department of Energy of a Small Business Innovation Research(SBIR) program solicitation (reference number DOE/ER-0706, closing dateMar. 2, 1998) specifically seeking strategies for mitigation ofgreenhouse gases and pollutants including CO2. This solicitation soughtapproaches to CO2 disposal involving usage of potential storage sitessuch as oil and gas reservoirs, unmineable coal seams, the deep ocean,or deep confined aquifers. CO2 separation and injection systems areknown in the prior art but the CO2 is only partially separated and theprocesses are so energy intensive that such systems are not generallycommercially viable. Accordingly, a need exists for such a moreefficient CO2 separation and injection system which can sequester anddispose of the CO2 in an economically viable manner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0012] This invention provides a means for developing a zero or very lowpollution vehicle (ZPV) and other transportation power systems (i.e.rail and ship), as well as a zero or low pollution electric powergenerating facility. The zero or very low pollution is achieved byremoving the harmful pollutants from the incoming fuel and oxidizerreactants prior to mixing and burning them in a gas generator orcombustion chamber. Sulfur, sulfides and nitrogen are major pollutantsthat must be removed from the candidate fuels: hydrogen, methane,propane, purified natural gas, and light alcohols such as ethanol andmethanol. Since air contains 76% nitrogen by weight, it becomes a majorsource of pollution that also requires removal prior to combining itwith the clean fuel.

[0013] Cleansing of the fuel is straightforward and requires no furtherelaboration. The separation of the oxygen from the nitrogen in the air,however, is accomplished in a variety of ways. For instance, nitrogencan be removed from air by the liquefaction of air and gradualseparation of the two major constituents, oxygen and nitrogen, by meansof a rectifier (to be described later in more detail). The separation ofthe gases relies on the two distinct boiling points for oxygen (162° R.)and for nitrogen (139° R.) at atmospheric pressure. Air liquefies at anintermediate temperature of (142° R.).

[0014] Other nitrogen removal techniques include vapor pressure swingadsorption, and membrane based air separation. With vapor pressure swingadsorption, materials are used which are capable of adsorption anddesorption of oxygen. With membrane based air separation, an air feedstream under pressure is passed over a membrane. The membrane allows onecomponent of the air to pass more rapidly there through than othercomponents, enriching the amount of different components on oppositesides of the membrane. Such membranes can be of a variety of differentmaterials and use several different physical processes to achieve thedesired separation of nitrogen out of the air.

[0015] One embodiment of this invention consists of a hybrid powersystem that combines a Rankine cycle thermal cycle with an auxiliaryelectric motor for start-up and chill-down requirements. The thermalpower cycle of the engine begins by compressing ambient air to highpressures, cooling the air during compression and during the expansionto liquid air temperatures in a rectifier where separation of the oxygenand nitrogen takes place. The cold gaseous nitrogen generated is used tocool the incoming air and then is discharged to the atmosphere at nearambient temperature. Simultaneously, the cold gaseous or liquid oxygengenerated by the rectifier is pressurized to gas generator pressurelevels and delivered to the gas generator at near ambient temperature.Fuel, gaseous or liquid, from a supply tank is pressurized to thepressure level of the oxygen and also delivered to the gas generatorwhere the two reactants are combined at substantially the stoichiometricmixture ratio to achieve complete combustion and maximum temperature hotgases (6500° R.). These hot gases are then diluted with water downstreamin a mixing section of the gas generator until the resulting temperatureis lowered to acceptable turbine inlet temperatures (2000° R.).

[0016] The drive gas generated from this mixing process consists of highpurity steam, when using oxygen and hydrogen as the fuel, or acombination of high purity steam and carbon dioxide (CO2), when usingoxygen and light hydrocarbon fuels (methane, propane, methanol, etc.).Following the expansion of the hot gas in the turbine, which powers thevehicle or the electric power generating plant, the steam or steam plusCO2 mixture are cooled in a condenser to near or below atmosphericpressure where the steam condenses into water, thus completing a Rankinecycle. Approximately 75% of the condensed water is recirculated to thegas generator while the remainder is used for cooling and discharged tothe atmosphere as warm water vapor. When using light hydrocarbons as thefuel, the gaseous carbon dioxide remaining in the condenser iscompressed to slightly above atmospheric pressure and either convertedto a solid or liquid state for periodic removal, or the gas can bedischarged into the atmosphere when such discharge is considerednon-harmful to the local air environment.

[0017] Since this thermal cycle requires time to cool the liquefactionequipment to steady state low temperatures, an electric motor, driven byan auxiliary battery, can be used to power the vehicle and initiate theRankine cycle until chill-down of the liquefaction equipment isachieved. When chill-down is complete the thermal Rankine engine,connected to an alternator, is used to power the vehicle or stationarypower plant and recharge the auxiliary battery.

[0018] The combination of these two power systems, also referred to as ahybrid vehicle, emit zero or very low pollution in either mode ofoperation. In addition, the electric motor battery is charged by thezero or very low pollution thermal Rankine cycle engine itself and thusdoes not require a separate electric power generating plant forrecharge. This reduces the power demand from central power stations andalso reduces a potential source of toxic air emissions.

[0019] In place of the electric drive motor and battery, the Rankinecycle engine, with the addition of a few control valves, can also beoperated as a minimally polluting open Brayton cycle, burning fuel andincoming air to power the vehicle during the period necessary to allowthe Rankine cycle engine liquefaction equipment time to chill-down. Thisfeature is another embodiment of this invention.

[0020] The zero or very low pollution Rankine cycle engine can also beused in a single cycle thermal mode for vehicles with long durationcontinuous duty such as heavy trucks, trains, ships and for stationarypower generation plants where the chill-down time is not critical to theoverall operational cycle.

[0021] The adaptation of the Otto and Diesel thermal cycles to alow-polluting hybrid engine are also included as embodiments of thisinvention. By using these thermal cycles, the need for a condenser andrecirculating water system are eliminated. Low temperature steam orsteam/carbon dioxide gases are recirculated as the working fluid andtherefore replace the function of the recirculating water quench of theRankine cycle embodiments previously discussed.

[0022] The combustion products resulting from operation of theabove-described engine are substantially entirely H2O and CO2 (when ahydrocarbon fuel is used). These combustion products are in contrast tocombustion products resulting from typical hydrocarbon combustion basedpower generation systems which do not have an air constituent separationdevice, as identified above. Combustion products in such prior artsystems would also include a large amount of nitrogen and unused oxygenas well as NOx and various carbon containing species. Because thecombustion products resulting from the above-described engine are merelyH2O and CO2, the isolation and conditioning of CO2 is straight forwardand draws little power away from the system as a whole.

[0023] Specifically, the combustion products are passed through acondenser where the H2O condenses into a liquid phase. Gases exiting thecondenser are substantially only carbon dioxide and can be directed outof the condenser for use in a terrestrial formation injection system orother disposal, such as for use in industrial processes requiring CO2.To most effectively inject the CO2 into a deep terrestrial formation,the CO2 must be pressurized. Such formations include oceans; deepaquifers; and porous geological formations such as partially or fullydepleted oil or gas formations, salt caverns, sulfur caverns and sulfurdomes. To accomplish such pressurization the gaseous CO2 can becompressed in one or more stages with after cooling and condensation ofadditional water. The modestly pressurized CO2 can then be further driedby conventional methods such as through the use of molecular sieves andpassed to a CO2 condenser where the CO2 is cooled and liquefied. The CO2can then be efficiently pumped with minimum power to a pressurenecessary to deliver the CO2 to a depth within the geological formationor the ocean depth at which CO2 injection is desired. Alternatively, theCO2 can be compressed through a series of stages and discharged as asuper critical fluid at a pressure matching that necessary for injectioninto the geological formation or deep ocean.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

[0024] Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is toprovide a low or zero pollution combustion based power generation systemwhich additionally isolates and conditions CO2 from combustion productsdischarged by the system for effective handling of the CO2 in a mannerother than release of the CO2 into the atmosphere.

[0025] Another object of this invention is to provide a high efficiencycombustion based power generation system.

[0026] Another object of the present invention is to provide a powergeneration system which can also produce water as a byproduct. In areaswhere water is scarce the water byproducts produced by this inventionare particularly beneficial.

[0027] Another object of the present invention is to provide acombustion based power generation system which includes an air treatmentplant for separating nitrogen from the air prior to use of the air tocombust a hydrocarbon fuel, such that nitrogen oxides and otherpollutants are reduced or eliminated as byproducts of combustion in thepower generation system.

[0028] Another object of the present invention is to provide ahydrocarbon combustion based power generation system which injects CO2produced by the power generation system into a terrestrial formationsuch as a deep porous geological structure or an undersea location.

[0029] Another object of the present invention is to provide acombustion based power generation system which releases no combustionproducts into the atmosphere.

[0030] Another object of the present invention is to provide a reliableand economical source of power which does not harm the surroundingenvironment.

[0031] Other further objects of this invention will become apparent upona careful reading of the included description of the invention andreview of the drawings included herein, as well as the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032]FIG. 1 is a schematic illustrating an embodiment of this inventionand its elements, along with their connectivity. This embodimentconstitutes a very low pollution or pollution-free hybrid power systemfor vehicular and other applications. The fuel reactant is a lighthydrocarbon type such as methane propane, purified natural gas, andalcohols (i.e. methanol, ethanol).

[0033]FIG. 2 is a schematic illustrating an embodiment of this inventionwhich is also a very low pollution or pollution-free hybrid power systemfor vehicular and other applications where the fuel is gaseous hydrogen.

[0034]FIG. 3 is a schematic illustrating an embodiment of this inventionwhich is a very low pollution or pollution-free power system forvehicular and other applications during cruise and continuous duty.During start-up and a short period thereafter, the engine runs in anopen Brayton cycle mode and thus emits some pollutants.

[0035]FIG. 4 is a plot of Temperature v. Entropy for the working fluidillustrating the first of two cycles used in the dual mode engine ofFIG. 3. This cycle is an open Brayton with inter-cooling betweencompressor stages (Mode I).

[0036]FIG. 5 is a plot of Temperature v. Entropy for the working fluidillustrating the second cycle used in the dual mode engine of FIG. 3.This cycle is a Rankine with regeneration, (Mode II).

[0037]FIG. 6 is a schematic illustrating an embodiment of this inventionand its interconnecting elements. This embodiment constitutes a very lowpollution or pollution-free hybrid power system for vehicular and otherapplications similar to that of FIG. 1 but with the addition of tworeheaters to the power cycle for improved performance. The fuel reactantfor this cycle is a light hydrocarbon.

[0038]FIG. 7 is a schematic illustrating an embodiment of this inventionand its interconnecting elements. This embodiment constitutes a very lowpollution or pollution-free hybrid power system similar to that of FIG.2 but with the addition of two reheaters to the power cycles forimproved performance. The fuel reactant for this cycle is hydrogen.

[0039]FIG. 8 is a plot of Temperature v. Entropy for the working fluidfor the power cycle used for the thermal engines shown in FIG. 6 andFIG. 7. This cycle features the Rankine cycle with regeneration andreheat for improved performance. FIG. 9 is a schematic illustrating anembodiment of this invention that features a very low pollution ornon-polluting hybrid engine with electric motor drive and a Rankinepower cycle utilizing dynamic type turbomachinery. The Rankine powercycle utilizes regeneration and reheaters for increased cycle efficiencyand power density.

[0040]FIG. 10 is a schematic illustrating an embodiment of thisinvention that features a low polluting hybrid engine with an electricmotor drive and an Otto power cycle reciprocating engine.

[0041]FIG. 11 is a schematic illustrating an embodiment of thisinvention that features a low polluting hybrid engine with an electricmotor drive and a Diesel power cycle reciprocating engine.

[0042]FIG. 12 is a schematic illustrating a basic low-polluting enginewhere a rectifier and air liquefaction devices of previous embodimentsare replaced with an air separation plant which separates nitrogen fromair by any of a variety of techniques including liquefaction, vaporpressure swing adsorption, membrane based air separation, etc.

[0043]FIG. 13 is a schematic similar to that which is shown in FIG. 12but including regeneration in the cycle disclosed therein.

[0044]FIG. 14 is a schematic similar to that which is disclosed in FIGS.12 and 13 except that a duel cycle arrangement is provided whichfeatures a bottoming cycle for enhanced efficiency.

[0045]FIG. 15 is a schematic of a typical pressure swing adsorptionplant for use as the air separation plant in one of the enginesdisclosed in FIGS. 12-14.

[0046]FIG. 16 is a schematic of a membrane flow two stage enrichment ofoxygen and nitrogen system for use as part of the air separation plantof the cycles disclosed in FIGS. 12-14.

[0047]FIG. 17 is a system diagram of the hydrocarbon combustion powergeneration system of this invention with CO2 compression andliquefaction for injection into a terrestrial formation.

[0048]FIG. 18 is a flow chart indicating the basic components of thepower generation system of this invention and revealing where materialsenter into the system and where materials exit from the system anddemonstrating the absence of atmospheric disruption when the powergeneration system of this invention is in operation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0049] According to the first embodiment of the present invention, azero or very low pollution Rankine cycle thermal engine operating inparallel with a zero emissions electric motor (also referred to as ahybrid engine) is illustrated in FIG. 1. The Rankine engine consists ofa dynamic turbocompressor 10, a reciprocating engine 20, a powertransmission 30, a heat exchanger 40, a turboexpander 50, a rectifier60, a gas generator 70, a condenser 80, a recirculating water feed pump90, a water heater 100 and a condenser coolant radiator 110. Theelectric engine consists of an alternator 120, a battery 130 andelectric motor 140.

[0050] Hybrid engine operation begins by starting the electric motor 140using the battery 130 as the energy source. The electric motor 140drives the reciprocating engine 20 through the power transmission 30 andthereby initiates the start of the thermal engine that requires achill-down period for the liquefaction equipment consisting of heatexchanger 40, turboexpander 50 and rectifier 60.

[0051] Activation of the thermal engine initiates the compression ofambient temperature air from a surrounding environment entering thedynamic compressor 2 through an air inlet duct 1. The compressor 2raises the air to the design discharge pressure. The air then exitsthrough duct 3 into intercooler 4 where the heat of compression isremoved by external cooling means 5 (i.e. air, water, Freon, etc.).Condensed water vapor from the air is tapped-off by drain 6. After theair exits intercooler 4 through duct 7, at a temperature equal to thecompressor inlet, it enters the reciprocating compressor 8 and is raisedto the design discharge pressure. The air exits through duct 9 intointercooler 11 and is again cooled to the inlet temperature of thecompressor. This compression/cooling cycle is repeated as the air exitsintercooler 11 through duct 12 and enters reciprocating compressor 13,then exits through duct 14, enters intercooler 15 and exits through duct16, to complete the air pressurization.

[0052] The high pressure, ambient temperature air then enters thescrubber 17 where any gases or fluids that could freeze during thesubsequent liquefaction are removed. These gases and liquids includecarbon dioxide (duct 18 a and storage tank 18 b), oil (line 19 a andstorage tank 19 b) and water vapor (tap off drain 21). The oil can befrom a variety of sources, such as leakage from the air compressionmachinery. The dry air then exits through duct 22 and enters heatexchanger 40 where the air is cooled by returning low temperaturegaseous nitrogen.

[0053] The dry air is now ready to pass through an air treatment devicefor the separation of nitrogen out of the air and to provide nitrogenfree oxygen for combustion as discussed below. The dry air will contain,by weight, 23.1% oxygen, 75.6% nitrogen, 1.285% argon and small tracesof hydrogen, helium, neon, krypton and xenon (total of 0.0013%). Argonhas a liquefaction temperature of 157.5° R., which lies between thenitrogen and oxygen boiling points of 139.9° R. and 162.4° R.respectively. Therefore argon, which is not removed, will liquefy duringthe liquefaction process. The remaining traces of gases hydrogen, heliumand neon are incondensable at temperatures above 49° R. while kryptonand xenon will liquefy; however, the trace amounts of these latter gasesis considered insignificant to the following air liquefaction process.

[0054] The dry air then exits through duct 23 and enters theturboexpander 24 where the air temperature is further reduced to nearliquid air temperature prior to exiting duct 25 and enters the rectifier60 (a two column type design is shown). Within the rectifier, if notbefore, the air is cooled to below the oxygen liquefaction temperature.Preferably, a two column type rectifier 60 is utilized such as thatdescribed in detail in the work: The Physical Principles of GasLiquefaction and Low Temperature Rectification, Davies, first (publishedby Longmans, Green and Co. 1949).

[0055] The air exits from the lower rectifier heat exchanger 26 throughduct 27 at liquid air temperature and enters the rectifier's lowercolumn plates where the oxygen/nitrogen separation is initiated. Liquidwith about 40% oxygen exits through duct 28 and enters the upperrectifier column where a higher percentage oxygen concentration isgenerated. Liquid nitrogen at 96% purity is recirculated from the lowerrectifier column to the upper column by means of duct 29. Gaseousnitrogen at 99% purity (1% argon) exits through duct 31 and enters heatexchanger 40 where cooling of the incoming air is performed prior todischarging through duct 32 to the atmosphere at near ambienttemperature and pressure. Gaseous or liquid oxygen at 95% purity (5%argon) exits through duct 33 and enters the turboexpander compressor 34where the oxygen is pressurized to the design pressure. The highpressure oxygen then exits through duct 35 and enters the gas generator70.

[0056] A light hydrocarbon fuel (methane, propane, purified natural gasand light alcohols such as ethanol and methanol) exits the fuel supplytank 37 through duct 38 and enters the reciprocating engine cylinder 39where the fuel is raised to the design discharge pressure. The fuel thenexits through duct 41 and enters the gas generator 70 to be mixed withthe incoming oxygen at the stoichiometric mixture ratio to achievecomplete combustion and maximum hot gas temperature (approximately 6500°R.). The gas generator includes an ignition device, such as a sparkplug, to initiate combustion. While the gas generator 70 is thepreferred form of fuel combustion device for this embodiment, other fuelcombustion devices could also be used, such as those discussed in thealternative embodiments below. The products of combustion of thesereactants result in a high purity steam and carbon dioxide gas and asmall amount of gaseous argon (4%).

[0057] Following the complete combustion of the high temperature gases,recirculating water is injected into the gas generator 70 through line42 and dilutes the high temperature gases to a lower temperature drivegas acceptable to the reciprocating engine (approximately 2000° R.).This water influx also increases a mass flow rate of combustion productsavailable for expansion and power generation. The drive gas then exitsthe gas generator 70 through discharge duct 43, enters reciprocatingcylinder 44, expands and provides power to the power transmission 30.Other combustion product expansion devices can replace the reciprocatingcylinder 44, such as the dynamic turbines discussed in the sixthembodiment below. The gas exits through duct 45, enters the secondcylinder 46, expands and also provides power to the power transmission;the gas exits through duct 47 and powers the dynamic turbine 48 whichdrives the centrifugal compressor 2, which was driven by the electricmotor 140 during start-up, and the alternator 120 to recharge thebattery 130.

[0058] The gas then exits through duct 49, enters the water heater 100where residual heat in the gas is transferred to the recirculating waterbeing pumped by pump 90, the water heater gas exits through duct 51,enters the condenser 80 at near or below atmospheric pressure, wherecondensation of the steam into water and separation of the carbondioxide takes place. The condensed water exits through line 52, entersthe pump 90 where the pressure of the water is raised to the gasgenerator 70 supply pressure level. A major portion of the pump 90discharge water exits through line 53, enters the water heater 100 whereheat is transferred from the turbine 48 exhaust gas and then exitsthrough line 42 for delivery to the gas generator 70. The remainingwater from the discharge of pump 90 exits through duct 54 and is sprayedthrough nozzles 55 into radiator 110 (evaporative cooling). Coolant forthe condenser gases is recirculated through duct 56 to the radiator 110where heat is rejected to atmospheric air being pumped by fan 57.

[0059] The gaseous carbon dioxide, remaining after the condensation ofthe steam, exits the condenser 80 through duct 58 and enters thereciprocating cylinder 59, (when the condenser pressure is belowatmospheric) compressed to slightly above atmospheric pressure anddischarged through duct 61. The compressed carbon dioxide can be storedin storage tank 62 and converted to a solid or liquid state for periodicremoval; or the gas can be discharged into the atmosphere when suchexpulsion is permitted.

[0060] It should be noted that this hybrid engine generates its ownwater requirements upon demand and thus eliminates the freezing problemof a steam Rankine cycle in a cold (below freezing) environment. Also,the engine generates its oxidizer requirements on demand and thuseliminates many safety concerns regarding oxygen storage.

[0061] A second embodiment of this invention, illustrated in FIG. 2,features a hybrid engine when using hydrogen in place of a hydrocarbonfuel. When using hydrogen as the fuel no carbon dioxide is generated andonly high purity steam exits from the gas generator 70. Consequently allsystems related to carbon dioxide are deleted, and no other changes arebasically required. However, to maintain the same six cylinder engine ofFIG. 1, the hydrogen fuel FIG. 2 exits the fuel supply tank 37 throughduct 63, enters reciprocating engine cylinder 59, exits through duct 64,enters reciprocating engine cylinder 39, exits through duct 41 and isdelivered to the gas generator 70. This permits two stages ofcompression for the low density hydrogen.

[0062] A third embodiment of this invention, illustrated in FIG. 3,features a dual cycle engine where a Brayton cycle is used for start-upand chill-down of the air liquefaction equipment (Mode I) and a Rankinecycle is used for cruise, idle and continuous duty (Mode II). Toincorporate this feature, high pressure air is tapped-off from cylinder13 (air pressurization as previously described for embodiment one) bymeans of bypass air duct 71 and modulated by valve 72. Also,recirculating water to the gas generator is modulated by means of valve73 to control the combustion temperature of the fuel and oxygen and theexit temperature of the gaseous mixture being delivered to power thecycle through duct 43.

[0063] The thermodynamic cycles for these two operating Modes areillustrated in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5. The working fluid for power cycleoperation in Mode I consists of steam, carbon dioxide and gaseous air.When operating in Mode II the working fluid (as discussed in embodimentone and two) consists of steam and carbon dioxide when using hydrocarbonfuel and steam only when using hydrogen.

[0064] An open Brayton cycle, illustrated in FIG. 4, with two stages ofintercooling the compressed air, 74 a, and 74 b, is used to power theengine during Mode I and initiates the chill-down of the liquefactionequipment for subsequent Mode II operation of the Rankine cycle withregeneration 75, illustrated in FIG. 5. Note that this embodimenteliminates the need for an electric motor, battery and alternator.

[0065] A fourth embodiment of this invention, illustrated in FIG. 6,includes all the elements of the first embodiment and adds two reheaters150 and 160 to improve the performance of this engine. While tworeheaters 150, 160 are shown, any number of reheaters can be utilizeddepending on the requirements of each specific application.

[0066] The engine operates as described for the first embodiment butwith the following changes. Hot gases exiting reciprocating cylinder 44exit through duct 81, enter the reheater 150 where additional lighthydrocarbon fuel and oxygen is injected through ducts 88 and 89respectively. The heat of combustion of these reactants within thereheater 150 raises the incoming gas temperature to the level of the gasgenerator 70 output. The reheated gas then exits reheater 150 throughduct 82, enters reciprocating cylinder 46, expands and exits throughduct 83 and enters reheater 160 where additional oxygen and fuel isinjected. The heat of combustion of these reactants within the reheater160 again raises the incoming gas temperature to the same level as atthe gas generator 70 output. The heated gas then exits through duct 84and enters the dynamic turbine 48, as described previously in the firstembodiment. Fuel for the reheater 160 is supplied through duct 86. Theoxygen is supplied through duct 87.

[0067] A fifth embodiment of this invention, illustrated in FIG. 7,includes all the elements of the second embodiment and adds tworeheaters 150 and 160 to improve the performance. This engine operatesas described for embodiment four except this engine uses hydrogen fuel.The Rankine cycle of these embodiments using regeneration and reheats isillustrated in FIG. 8. Regeneration is illustrated by 91 and the tworeheats are illustrated by 92 a and 92 b.

[0068] A sixth embodiment of this invention; illustrated in FIG. 9, issimilar to the fourth embodiment featuring reheaters, illustrated inFIG. 6, except all the machinery consists of dynamic type compressorsand turbines. This type of machinery is more suitable for higher powerlevels (>1000 Shaft Horsepower (SHP)) required for rail, ship or standbypower systems.

[0069] The Rankine engine consists of dynamic turbocompressors 200, 210,and 220, a power transmission 230, a heat exchanger 240, a turboexpander250, a rectifier 260, a gas generator 270, a first reheater 280, asecond reheater 290, a water heater 300, a condenser 310, arecirculating pump 320 and a condenser coolant radiator 330. Theelectric engine consists of an alternator 400, a battery 410 andelectric motor 420.

[0070] Engine operation begins by starting the electric motor 420 usingthe battery 410 as the energy source. The electric motor 420 drives thedynamic compressor 201 through power transmission 230, andsimultaneously, valve 202 is opened and valve 203 is closed. Thisinitiates the start of the engine in a Brayton cycle mode. As enginespeed increases valve 202 is gradually closed and valve 203 is graduallyopened to slowly transition into the Rankine cycle mode and permit theliquefaction equipment to chill down. During this transitional periodthe electric motor 420 is used to maintain scheduled power and speeduntil steady state Rankine cycle conditions are achieved.

[0071] During thermal engine activation air enters turbocompressor 201through duct 204 and is raised to the design discharge pressure. The airthen exits through duct 205 into intercooler 206 where the heat ofcompression is removed by external cooling means 207 (i.e. air, water,Freon, etc.). Condensed water vapor is tapped-off by drain 208. Afterthe air exits intercooler 206 through duct 209 at a temperature equal tothe compressor inlet, it enters compressor 211 and is raised to thedesign discharge pressure. The air then exits through duct 212 intointercooler 213 and is again cooled to the inlet temperature of thecompressor 201. This compression/cooling cycle is repeated as the airexits intercooler 213 through duct 214, enters compressor 215, thenexits through duct 216, enters intercooler 217 and exits through duct218 to complete the air pressurization.

[0072] The high pressure ambient temperature air then enters scrubber219 where gases and fluids that are subject to freezing during theliquefaction process are removed (i.e. carbon dioxide, water vapor andoil). Carbon dioxide exits through duct 221 a and is processed andstored in reservoir 221 b. Oil is drained through duct 222 a and storedin reservoir 222 b. Water vapor is drained through duct 223 anddischarged overboard.

[0073] The dry air then exits through duct 224 and enters the heatexchanger 240 where the air is cooled by returning gaseous nitrogen. Itthen exits through duct 225 and enters turboexpander 226 where the airtemperature is further reduced to near liquid air temperature prior toexiting through duct 227 and enters the rectifier 260. The air exitsfrom the rectifier heat exchanger 228 through duct 229 at liquid airtemperature and enters the rectifier's lower column plates whereoxygen/nitrogen separation is initiated. Liquid with 40% oxygen exitsthrough duct 231 and enters the upper rectifier column where a higherpercentage oxygen concentration is generated. Liquid nitrogen at 96%purity is recirculated from the lower rectifier column to the uppercolumn by means of duct 232. Gaseous nitrogen at 99% purity (1% argon)exits through duct 233 and enters the heat exchanger 240 where coolingthe incoming dry air is performed prior to discharging through duct 234to the atmosphere at near ambient temperature and pressure. Gaseousoxygen or liquid oxygen at 95% purity (5% argon) exits through duct 235and enters the turboexpander compressor 236 where the oxygen ispressurized to the design pressure. The high pressure oxygen then exitsthrough duct 237 and enters the gas generator 270 through duct 238.

[0074] Fuel, i.e. methane, propane, purified natural gas and lightalcohols such as methanol and ethanol, exits the fuel supply tank 239through duct 241 and enters the compressor 242 of turboexpander 250 andis raised to the design discharge pressure. The pressurized fuel thenexits through duct 243 and enters the gas generator 270 through duct 244where it mixes with the incoming oxygen at stoichiometric mixture ratioto achieve complete combustion and maximum hot gas temperature(approximately 6500° R.). The products of combustion of these reactantsresult in a high purity steam, carbon dioxide gas and a small amount ofgaseous argon (4%).

[0075] Following complete combustion of the high temperature gases,recirculating water is injected into the gas generator through line 245and dilutes the high temperature gases to a lower temperature drive gasacceptable to the dynamic turbine 247 (approximately 2000° R.). Thedrive gas then exits the gas generator 270 through duct 246 and entersthe turbine 247 of turbocompressor 220, where the gas expands and powersthe air compressor 215 and the carbon dioxide compressor 273. The gasthen exits through duct 248 and enters reheater 280 where the heatextracted due to the turbine 247 work is replenished. This heat isderived from the combustion of added fuel through duct 249 and addedoxygen through duct 251 into reheater 280.

[0076] The reheated gas then exits through duct 252 and enters turbine253 of turbocompressor 210 and expands to lower pressure. The powerproduced by these expanding gases drive the alternator 400 andcompressor 211, then exhaust through duct 254 and enter reheater 290.The heat extracted from the gases resulting in the turbine work isreplenished with the heat of combustion from added fuel through duct 255and oxygen through duct 256.

[0077] The reheated gas then exits through duct 257, enters turbine 258of turbocompressor 200 and drives compressor 201 and power transmission230. The turbine exhaust gas then exits through duct 259 and enterswater heater 300 where the residual heat of the turbine 258 exhaust isused to preheat the water that is being recirculated to the gasgenerator 270. The gas then exits through duct 261, enters the condenser310 near or below atmospheric pressure, where condensation of the steaminto water and separation of the carbon dioxide gas occurs.

[0078] The condensed water exits through line 262, enters the pump 263where the pressure is raised to the supply level of the gas generator270. A major portion of the discharge water from pump 263 exits throughline 264, enters the water heater 300 where heat is absorbed from theturbine exhaust gas and then exists through line 245 for delivery to thegas generator 270. The remaining water from the discharge of pump 263exits through line 265 and is sprayed through nozzles 266 into radiator330 for evaporative cooling. Coolant for the condenser gas isrecirculated by pump 267 to the radiator 330 through line 268, whereheat is rejected to atmospheric air being pumped by fan 269.

[0079] The gaseous carbon dioxide, remaining from the condensation ofsteam, exits through duct 271 and enters compressor 273 ofturbocompressor 220 and is compressed to slightly above atmosphericpressure (when condenser pressure is below atmospheric) and dischargedthrough duct 274 into storage tank 275. The compressed carbon dioxidecan be converted into a liquid or solid state for periodic removal, orthe gas can be discharged into the atmosphere as local environmentallaws permit.

[0080] The seventh embodiment of this invention, illustrated in FIG. 10,includes the liquefaction system of the previous embodiments bututilizes the intermittent but spontaneous combustion process of the Ottocycle as the thermal power engine. This embodiment eliminates the needfor the steam condenser and the recirculating water system.

[0081] The Otto cycle steam or steam/CO2 thermal engine consists of, inaddition to the liquefaction system previously described, a premixer 430where oxygen from duct 35, fuel from duct 41 and recirculating steam orsteam/CO2 from duct 301 are premixed in the approximate ratio of 20%, 5%and 75% by weight respectively. These premixed gases are then directedto the reciprocating pistons 302 through duct 303 and ducts 304 wherethey are compressed and ignited with a spark ignition system identicalto current Otto cycle engines. After the power stroke, the steam orsteam/CO2 gases are discharged to the dynamic turbine 48 through ducts305, 306 and then into duct 47. Some of the discharge gases are directedback to the premixer 430 through duct 301. The exhaust gases from thedynamic turbine 48 are then discharged to the atmosphere through duct307.

[0082] The eighth embodiment of this invention, illustrated in FIG. 11,is similar to the seventh embodiment, except a Diesel power cycle isused. In this system a premixer 440 mixes the oxygen from duct 35 withsteam or steam/CO2 from duct 308, at an approximate mixture ratio of 23%and 77% by weight respectively, and discharges the gaseous mixture tothe reciprocating pistons 309 through duct 311 and ducts 312 where themixture is compressed to a high pre-ignition temperature. The highpressure fuel, at approximately 5% of the total weight of the gasmixture in the piston cylinder, is injected through ducts 313 and burnsat approximately constant pressure. If necessary, an ignition device islocated within the combustion cylinder. The hot gases then rapidlyexpand as the piston moves to the bottom of its power stroke. Thesteam/CO2 gases are then discharged into ducts 313 and delivered to thedynamic turbine 48 through duct 47. Some of the discharged gases arediverted to the premixer 440 through the duct 308. The exhaust gasesfrom the dynamic turbine 48 are then discharged into the atmospherethrough duct 307.

[0083]FIG. 12 depicts a basic low-polluting engine 500 whichconceptually represents many of the above-described first eightembodiments in a more simplified manner. Rather than identifyingspecific machinery, FIG. 12 depicts steps in the overall powerproduction cycle. Additionally, the engine 500 of FIG. 12 replaces therectifier and other liquefaction equipment of embodiments 1-8 with amore generalized air separation plant 530. Details of various differentembodiments of this air separation plant 530 are provided in FIGS. 15and 16 and described in detail herein below.

[0084] The basic low-polluting engine 500 operates in the followingmanner. Air from a surrounding environment enters through an air inlet510 into an air compressor 520. The air compressor 520 elevates the airentering through the air inlet 510 and directs the compressed air to theair separation plant 530. Various different air separation techniquescan be utilized by the air separation plant 530 so that enrichednitrogen gases exit the air separation plant 530 through an enrichednitrogen gas outlet 532 and enriched oxygen gases exit the airseparation plant 530 through an enriched oxygen gases outlet 534. Theenriched nitrogen gases outlet 532 typically returns back into thesurrounding environment. The enriched oxygen gases outlet 534 leads tothe combustion device 550.

[0085] In the combustion device 550, the enriched oxygen gases from theair separation plant 530 are combined with the hydrogen containing fuelfrom a fuel supply 540 and combustion is initiated within the combustiondevice 550. A water or carbon dioxide diluent is added into thecombustion device to decrease a temperature of the products ofcombustion within the combustion device 550 and to increase a mass flowrate for a steam or steam and carbon dioxide working fluid exiting thecombustion device 550.

[0086] This working fluid is then directed into an expander 560, such asa turbine. The turbine is coupled through a power transfer coupling 562to the air compressor 520 to drive the air compressor 520. FIG. 12 showsa rotating shaft as one type of mechanical power transfer coupling 562.Another way to power the air compressor 520 is to generate electricityby means of the power absorber 570 and use part of the generatedelectricity to drive an electric motor which in turn powers the aircompressor 520. The expander 560 also is coupled through a powertransfer coupling 564 to a power absorber 570 such as an electricgenerator or a power transmission for a vehicle. The expander 560 isalso coupled through a power transfer coupling 566 to the air separationplant 530 to drive machinery within the air separation plant 530.

[0087] The working fluid is then discharged from the expander 560through a discharge 572. The discharge 572 leads to a condenser 580. Thecondenser has coolant passing through a coolant flow path 592 whichcauses water portions of the working fluid entering the condenser 580 tobe condensed. A water and carbon dioxide outlet 590 is provided forexcess water or water and carbon dioxide mixture from the condenser. Awater or water and carbon dioxide diluent path is also provided out ofthe condenser 580 for returning water or water and carbon dioxidediluent back to the combustion device 550.

[0088] As should be readily apparent, the air compressor 520 isgenerally analogous to the turbocompressor 10 of the first embodiment.The air separation plant 530 is generally analogous to the rectifier 60of the first embodiment. The fuel supply 540 is generally analogous tothe fuel supply tank 37 of the first embodiment. The combustion device550 is generally analogous to the gas generator 70 of the firstembodiment. The expander 560 is generally analogous to the reciprocatingcylinders 44, 46 of the reciprocating engine 20 of the first embodiment.The power absorber 570 is generally analogous to the power transmission30 of the first embodiment and the condenser 580 is generally analogousto the condenser 80 of the first embodiment. Hence, the basiclow-polluting engine schematic of FIG. 12 represented by referencenumeral 500 merely provides an overall depiction of the power productioncycle of this invention. While a specific analogy has been drawn betweenthis basic low-polluting engine 500 and the first embodiment, shown inFIG. 1, similar analogies can be drawn to the other embodiments of thisinvention.

[0089] With particular reference to FIG. 13, details of a basiclow-polluting engine 600 featuring regeneration is provided. Thelow-polluting engine featuring regeneration 600 depicted in FIG. 13 isidentical to the basic low-polluting engine 500 of FIG. 12 except thathandling of the working fluid upon discharge from the expander 660 hasbeen altered to feature regeneration. Specifically, the low-pollutingengine featuring regeneration 600 includes an air inlet 610, aircompressor 620, air separation plant 630, fuel supply 640, combustiondevice 650, expander 660 and power absorber 670 arranged similarly tothe components 510, 520, 530, 540, 550, 560, 570 of the basiclow-polluting engine 500 shown in FIG. 12.

[0090] In contrast, the low-polluting engine featuring regeneration 600directs the working fluid through a discharge 672 which leads to aregenerator 674. The working fluid exits the regenerator 674 through aregenerator outlet 676. The regenerator outlet 676 leads to a condenser680. Within the condenser 680, the working fluid is cooled by action ofa coolant flowing along a coolant flow path 682 to be separated intocarbon dioxide and water. The carbon dioxide exits the condenser 680through a carbon dioxide outlet 684 and the water exits the condenser680 through the water outlet 686. The water outlet 686 leads to a feedwater pump 688. Excess water is discharged from the engine 600 at awater excess outlet 690. Other portions of the water are directed alonga regenerator water flow path 692 through the regenerator 674 where thewater is preheated. The water or steam leaves the regenerator 674 alonga water diluent path 694 leading back to the combustion device 650.

[0091] The carbon dioxide outlet 684 from the condenser 680 also leadsinto the regenerator 674 for preheating of the carbon dioxide. Thecarbon dioxide leaves the regenerator along a regenerator carbon dioxideflow 696 which leads to a carbon dioxide compressor 697. The carbondioxide compressor 697 in turn leads to a carbon dioxide excess outlet698 where excess carbon dioxide is removed from the engine 600. Ifdesired, a portion of the carbon dioxide can be directed along a carbondioxide diluent path 699 back to the combustion device 650 for use as adiluent within the combustion device 650.

[0092] With particular reference to FIG. 14, a basic low-pollutingengine 700 with bottoming cycle is provided. As with the low-pollutingengine featuring regeneration 600 of FIG. 13, portions of thelow-polluting engine featuring a bottoming cycle 700 are similar to thebasic low-polluting engine 500 of FIG. 12 up until discharge of theworking fluid from the expander 560. Hence, the low polluting enginefeaturing a bottoming cycle 700 includes an air inlet 710, aircompressor 720, air separation plant 730, fuel supply 740, combustiondevice 750, expander 760 and power absorber 770 having correspondingcomponents in the engine 500 of FIG. 12.

[0093] The working fluid is discharged from the expander 760 through adischarge 772 leading to a Heat Recovery Steam Generator(HRSG)/condenser 774. The working fluid is condensed and a water outlet775 directs water from the condenser 774 and a carbon dioxide outlet 776directs carbon dioxide from the condenser 774. The carbon dioxide outlet776 leads to a carbon dioxide compressor 777, a carbon dioxide excessoutlet 778 and carbon dioxide diluent path 779 leading back to thecombustion device 750.

[0094] The water outlet 775 leads to a feed water pump 780 which in turnleads to a water excess outlet 781 and a water regeneration path 782where the water is regenerated within a bottoming regenerator 787. Thewater exits the bottoming regenerator 787 along a water diluent path 783leading back to the combustion device 750.

[0095] The HRSG/condenser 774 and regenerator 787 are driven by abottoming cycle including a bottoming cycle boiler 784 which boils waterin the bottoming cycle from the discharge working fluid from thedischarge 772 and entering the HRSG/condenser 774. The topping cyclealso includes a bottoming turbine 786 and a bottoming regenerator 787which cools steam exiting the steam turbine 786 and heats water enteringthe water diluent path 783. The bottoming cycle also includes abottoming condenser 788 cooled by a coolant within a coolant line 789.Hence, the working fluid such as water within the bottoming cycle passesfrom the condenser 788 to the boiler 784 where the working fluid isheated and turned into a gas. Note that the HRSG/condenser 774 andboiler 784 are integrated together but that only heat exchange isallowed, not mixing. The bottoming cycle working fluid then passesthrough the turbine 786 for production of power which can be directed tothe power absorber 770 or other components of the low-polluting enginefeaturing a bottoming cycle 700. The working fluid then exits theturbine 786 and is cooled in the regenerator 787 before returning to thecondenser 788.

[0096] The air separation plants 530, 630, 730 of FIGS. 12-14 can be anyof a variety of different apparatuses or systems which are capable ofremoving at least a portion of the nitrogen from air. For instance, andspecifically discussed above with respect to the first through eighthembodiments of FIGS. 1-11, the air separation plant 530, 630, 730 caninclude a rectifier such as the rectifier 60 of FIG. 1 or otherliquefaction equipment which separate nitrogen from the air byliquefaction.

[0097] However, liquefaction processes are not the only processes thatcan remove at least a portion of nitrogen from air. Several otherprocesses are available to achieve this goal. These processes, which aredescribed in detail below, can be substituted for the cryogenicliquefaction process described in detail hereinabove. One alternativetechnique available for use in the air separation plant 530, 630, 730 isa pressure swing adsorption plant 800 (FIG. 15). The pressure swingadsorption process, also called vacuum pressure swing adsorption, usesmaterials which are capable of adsorption and desorption of oxygen ornitrogen such as, for example, synthetic zeolites. The vacuum pressureswing adsorption process can be used to separate oxygen and nitrogenfrom air.

[0098] The process typically employs two beds that go through swings inpressure from above atmospheric to below atmospheric pressure. Each bedcycles sequentially from adsorption to desorption and regeneration andback to adsorption. The two beds operate in a staggered arrangement inwhich one bed is adsorbing while the other bed is regenerating. Thus thebeds alternately produce a gaseous product of high oxygen content. Withthis process, a gaseous mixture can be produced with a wide range ofoxygen purities. As an example, oxygen purities ranging from 90% to 94%are used in many industrial applications and can be successfullyproduced with commercially available vacuum pressure swing adsorptionprocesses such as those produced by Praxair, Inc. with worldheadquarters located at 39 Old Ridgebury Road, Danbury, Conn.06810-5113.

[0099] With particular reference to FIG. 15, a layout of a typicalpressure swing adsorption plant 800 is shown. Initially, the air inlet510 and feed compressor 520 are provided analogous to the air inlet 510and air compressor 520 of the basic low-polluting engine schematic 500shown in FIG. 12. Preferably, a filter 515 is interposed between the airinlet and the feed compressor to filter particulates out of the airinlet stream. The compressed air discharged from the feed compressor 520is directed to a first inlet line 810 passing through a first inlet linevalve 815 and into a first enclosure 820.

[0100] The first enclosure 820 is provided with an appropriate materialcapable of adsorption and desorption of oxygen or nitrogen. One materialthat is used in these applications is zeolite. Two outlets are providedfrom the first enclosure 820 including a first oxygen outlet 830 coupledto the first enclosure 820 through a first valve 832 and a firstnitrogen outlet 835 coupled to the first enclosure 820 through a firstnitrogen valve 836. The first nitrogen outlet 835 leads to a nitrogencompressor 837 which raises the gases in the first nitrogen outlet 835back to atmospheric pressure for discharge through nitrogen discharge839. In fact, the first nitrogen outlet 835 and first oxygen outlet 830do not contain pure oxygen or nitrogen but rather merely gases which areenriched in content with oxygen or nitrogen.

[0101] The first oxygen outlet 830 leads to a surge tank 870 with avalve 875 beyond the surge tank 870 and leading to an oxygen supply line880. In parallel with the first enclosure 820, a second enclosure 850 isprovided. The second enclosure 850 is similarly loaded with anappropriate material capable of adsorption and desorption of oxygen ornitrogen. A second inlet line 840 leads from the feed compressor 520through a second inlet line valve 845 and into the second enclosure 850.A second oxygen outlet 860 leads out of the second enclosure 850 and onto the surge tank 870 through a second oxygen outlet valve 862. A secondnitrogen outlet 865 also leads out of the second enclosure 850 through asecond nitrogen outlet valve 866 and on to the compressor 837. A cyclecontroller 890 controls the opening and closing of the various valves815, 832, 836, 845, 862, 866 and 875.

[0102] One typical operation sequence of the pressure swing adsorptionplant 800 is as follows. Initially, all of the valves are closed exceptfor the first nitrogen valve 836 and the nitrogen compressor 837 is usedto reduce pressure in the first enclosure 820 to below atmosphericpressure. The first nitrogen valve 836 is then closed. Next, the firstinlet valve 815 is opened. With the first inlet line valve 815 open andall other valves closed, the feed compressor directs air into the firstenclosure 820.

[0103] As pressure builds up within the first enclosure 820, thematerial within the first enclosure 820 is caused to adsorb differentmolecules within the air in a discriminate fashion. For instance, thematerial can be selected to adsorb nitrogen at elevated pressure. Atreduced pressure, the adsorption effect reverses to desorption.

[0104] In essence, if the material adsorbs nitrogen at pressureselevated above atmospheric pressure and desorbs nitrogen at pressuresbelow atmospheric pressure, the various valves 815, 832, 836 and 875 aresequentially operated so that the first enclosure 820 has an elevatedpressure and adsorbs nitrogen before the remaining enriched oxygen airis allowed to freely flow out of the first enclosure 820 along the firstoxygen outlet 830. When the oxygen enclosure 820 has a pressure belowatmospheric pressure, the material within the first enclosure 820 isdesorbing the nitrogen while the first nitrogen outlet valve 836 isopen. In this way, when nitrogen is being adsorbed, the remaining airwithin the first enclosure 820 is enriched in oxygen and is directed tothe first oxygen outlet 830 and when the material within the enclosure820 is desorbing the nitrogen, the nitrogen enriched gases within thefirst enclosure 820 are allowed to flow into the first nitrogen outlet835 and to the nitrogen discharge 839.

[0105] The zeolite material within the enclosure 820 benefits from someresidence time to adsorb as much nitrogen (or oxygen) as desired. Duringthis time no oxygen rich or nitrogen rich gases flow to the oxygensupply line 880 or the nitrogen discharge 839. Hence, it is beneficialto use a second enclosure 850 similar to the first enclosure 820 whilethe valves 815, 832 and 836 are all closed and the zeolite material inthe first enclosure 820 is adsorbing nitrogen (or oxygen).

[0106] Specifically the valves 845, 862 and 866 are sequentially openedand closed to cause the second enclosure 850 to operate in a mannersimilar to that outlined with reference to the first enclosure 820above. When the material within the second enclosure 850 is adsorbingnitrogen (or oxygen) the process is reversed so that the first enclosure820, having had its zeolite material appropriately desorbed, is broughtback on line for repetition of the alternating pattern of use betweenthe first enclosure 820 and the second enclosure 850. As should beapparent, additional enclosures besides the first enclosure 820 andsecond enclosure 850 could be utilized if the adsorbing materialrequires more residence time or to increase the overall throughput ofoxygen enriched gases from the air. Over time, the material within thefirst enclosure 820 which adsorbs and desorbs the oxygen or nitrogentends to lose its effectiveness. The material can be regenerated, if itis in the form of a synthetic zeolite, by application of heat or otherregeneration means. Accordingly, when the material within the firstenclosure 820 begins to lose its effectiveness, such a heat treatmentcan be performed or the zeolite material replaced. Should the adsorbingmaterial be configured to adsorb and desorb oxygen rather than nitrogen,the above described operation of the pressure swing adsorption plant 800would be adjusted to provide the desired separation of oxygen fromnitrogen.

[0107] With particular reference to FIG. 16, details of an alternativeapparatus and system for use within the air separation plants 530, 630,730 is provided. In such membrane-based air separation systems 900 theseparation of air into its components is achieved by passing an air feedstream under pressure over a membrane. The pressure gradient across themembrane causes the most permeable component to pass through themembrane more rapidly than other components, thereby creating a productstream that is enriched in this component while the feed stream isdepleted in this component.

[0108] The transport of the air through a membrane can follow severalphysical processes. As an example, these processes could be: 1) Knudsenflow separation which is based on molecular weight differences betweenthe gases; 2) Ultramicroporous molecular sieving separation; and 3)Solution-diffusion separation which is based both on solubility andmobility factors. In the case of a solution-diffusion process the airfirst dissolves in a polymer, then diffuses through its thickness andthen evaporates from the other side into the product stream.

[0109] Several types of membranes are available for this process, eachhaving specific advantages in particular situations. For example,cellulose acetate membranes exhibit good separation factors for oxygenand nitrogen, but have low flux rates. Thin film composite membranesplaced over microporous polysulfone exhibits lower separation factorsthan cellulose acetate, but have a higher flux at the same pressuredifferential. Repeating the process in a series configuration canincrease the oxygen concentration in the product stream. For example,one industrial membrane, in two passes, may enrich the oxygen content ofair to about 50%.

[0110] The above described membrane processes operate at a temperaturethat is near ambient temperature. A higher-than-ambient temperature mayarise as a result of a possible temperature rise resulting frompressurization of the air feed stream to create a pressure differenceacross the membrane.

[0111] Still another membrane separation process uses an electroceramicmembrane. Electroceramics are ionic solid solutions that permit movementof ions. To become appreciably mobile, the oxide ion, because of itssize and charge, requires a high temperature (about 800° F.) to overcomethe solid oxide lattice energy. The electroceramic membrane processintegrates well with the production of power described in this inventionbecause the power generating process produces waste heat that can beused to generate the required operating temperature of the membrane. Forinstance, and with reference to FIG. 12, the expander 560 and gasgenerator 550 can be configured such that the working fluid exiting theexpander 560 at the discharge 572 has a temperature at or above 800° F.The working fluid can then be routed to a heat exchanger which heats theelectroceramic membranes to 800° F. for use in the air developmentsystem 530.

[0112] The oxygen ions move through the lattice because of a gradient inpressure across the membrane. On the high oxygen partial pressure sideof the membrane, oxygen is reduced when it receives four electrons andoccupies two vacancies. At the low oxygen partial pressure side,vacancies are created by the reverse reaction. Oxide ions at the lowpartial pressure side can be removed by liberation of oxygen. The rateof diffusion through the membrane is determined by ion mobility. Thismobility is a characteristic of a particular material, and is dependenton the size, charge and geometry of the cations in the lattice. Apossible material for formation of the electroceramic membrane is yttriastabilized zirconia.

[0113] With particular reference to FIG. 16, one arrangement for themembrane based air separation system for use in the air separationplants 530, 630, 730 is depicted by reference numeral 900. In thisembodiment for the air separation plant, an air inlet 510 and feedcompressor 520 are provided similar to the air inlet 510 and feedcompressor 520 disclosed in FIG. 12 with regard to the basiclow-polluting engine 500. The compressed air is then directed to ajunction 910 where return flows from various membrane chambers returnfor reprocessing and are combined together within the junction 910. Ajunction outlet 915 provides the only outlet from the junction 910. Thejunction outlet 915 leads to a first membrane enclosure 920.

[0114] The first membrane enclosure 920 is preferably an enclosure whichhas an inlet and a membrane dividing the enclosure into two regions. Twooutlets are provided in the enclosure. One of the outlets is on the sameside of the membrane as the inlet and the other outlet is located on aside of the membrane opposite the inlet. If the membrane is of a typewhich allows oxygen to pass more readily there through than nitrogen, anoxygen rich outlet 924 is located on the downstream side of the membraneand a nitrogen rich outlet 926 is located on a same side of the membraneas the inlet 915. If the membrane allows nitrogen to pass more readilythere through, the arrangement of the outlets is reversed.

[0115] The junction outlet 915 passes into the first membrane enclosure920 through the inlet in the first membrane enclosure 920. Becauseoxygen flows more readily through the membrane within the first membraneenclosure 920, gases flowing through the oxygen rich outlet 924 have anincreased percentage of oxygen with respect to standard atmosphericoxygen percentages and the nitrogen rich outlet 926 has a nitrogencontent which is greater than that of standard atmospheric conditions.

[0116] The oxygen rich outlet 924 leads to a second membrane enclosure930 where it enters the second membrane enclosure 930 through an oxygenrich inlet 932. The second membrane enclosure 930 is arranged similarlyto the first membrane enclosure 920. Hence, a membrane is providedwithin the second membrane enclosure 930 and two outlets are providedincluding an oxygen super rich outlet 934 on a side of the membraneopposite the oxygen rich inlet 932 and a second outlet 938 located on acommon side of the membrane within the second membrane enclosure 930 asthe oxygen rich inlet 932.

[0117] The oxygen super rich outlet 934 leads to an oxygen supply 936for use within one of the engines 500, 600, 700 discussed above. Thegases flowing through the second outlet 938 typically have oxygen andnitrogen contents matching that of standard atmospheric conditions butmaintaining an elevated pressure. The second outlet 938 returns back tothe junction 910 for combining with air exiting the feed compressor 520and for repassing through the first membrane enclosure 920 as discussedabove.

[0118] The nitrogen rich outlet 926 exiting the first membrane enclosure920 is passed to a third membrane enclosure 940 where it enters thethird membrane enclosure 940 through a nitrogen rich inlet 942. Thethird membrane enclosure 940 is similarly arranged to the first membraneenclosure 920 and second membrane enclosure 930 such that a membrane islocated within the third membrane enclosure 940 and two outlets areprovided from the third membrane enclosure 940. One of the outlets is anitrogen super rich outlet 944 on a side of the membrane within thethird membrane enclosure 940 similar to that of the nitrogen rich inlet942. The nitrogen super rich outlet 944 can lead to a surroundingatmosphere or be used for processes where a high nitrogen content gas isdesirable.

[0119] A third permeate return 948 provides an outlet from the thirdmembrane enclosure 940 which is on a side of the membrane within thethird membrane enclosure 940 opposite the location of the nitrogen richinlet 942. The third permeate return 948 leads back to the junction 910for reprocessing of the still pressurized air exiting the third membraneenclosure 940 through the third permeate return 948. This air passingthrough the third permeate return 948 is typically similar in content tothe second permeate return 938 and the air exiting the feed compressor520.

[0120] While many different types of membranes can be utilized withinthe first membrane enclosure 920, second membrane enclosure 930 andthird membrane enclosure 940, the type of membrane would typically notalter the general arrangement of the membrane enclosures 920, 930, 940and conduits for directing gases between the various permeates 920, 930,940 and other components of the membrane based air separation plant 900of FIG. 16.

[0121] While various different techniques have been disclosed forseparation of nitrogen and oxygen from air, this description is notprovided to identify every possible air separation process or apparatus.For example, economic and other consideration may make application ofcombinations of the above described processes advantageous. Rather,these examples are presented to indicate that several separationprocesses are available to accomplish the goal of enriching the oxygencontent of air supplied to a combustion device and decreasing acorresponding nitrogen content of the air supply to a combustion device.By reducing an amount of nitrogen passing into a combustion device suchas these combustion devices 550, 650, 750, an amount of nitrogen oxidesproduced as products of combustion within the combustion device 550,650, 750 is reduced and low-pollution combustion based power productionresults.

[0122]FIG. 17 depicts a preferred embodiment of this invention which notonly emits low or zero pollutants but additionally isolates andconditions CO2 for sequestering into deep underground or undersealocations. While this preferred embodiment shows a specific arrangementof components including combustors, turbines, condensers andcompressors, the CO2 sequestration portion of this system could readilybe adapted for use with many of the above-identified embodiments.Particularly, each of the embodiments identified above which utilizes ahydrogen and carbon containing fuel, rather than merely hydrogen as thefuel, includes carbon dioxide as one of the combustion products. The CO2isolation and sequestration portion of the preferred embodiment of FIG.17 can be adapted to work with each of these hydrocarbon and carboncontaining fuel embodiments to provide an additional benefit to theseembodiments.

[0123] Specifically, and with particular reference to FIG. 17 thepreferred embodiment of a hydrocarbon combustion power generation systemwith CO2 sequestration 1,000 is described. For clarity, referencenumerals divisible by 10 are provided for various components of thesystem 1,000 and other reference numerals are provided for variousdifferent flow pathways of the system 1,000. The various different flowpathways could be in the form of hollow rigid or flexible tubing withappropriate insulation and with appropriate wall thicknesses forpressure handling capability depending on the material temperature andpressure conditions therein.

[0124] Initially, air is drawn from the atmosphere or some other sourceof air and passes along line 1,002 for entry into the air separationplant 1,010. Before the air passes into the air separation plant 1,010,the line 1,002 would typically pass through a filter to removeparticulates, a drier to remove moisture and a precooler 1,005 todecrease the temperature of the air. A line 1,004 exits the precooler1,005 and transports the air into the air separation plant 1,010. Inthis preferred system 1,000 the air separation plant 1,010 utilizesliquefaction techniques to separate oxygen in the air from nitrogen inthe air. Hence, significant cooling of the air is necessary and theprecooler 1,005 beneficially assists in this cooling process. However,other air separation techniques are known, as identified above. If suchnon-liquefaction air separation techniques are utilized, the precooler1,005 would not be necessary.

[0125] Regardless of the air separation technique utilized by the airseparation plant 1,010, two outlets for the air separation plant 1,010are provided including an oxygen outlet into line 1,012 and a nitrogenoutlet into line 1,011. If the air separation plant 1,010 only removes aportion of the nitrogen in the air, the oxygen outlet will in fact befor oxygen enriched air rather than pure oxygen. Line 1,011 can directthe nitrogen which, when liquefaction is used in the air separationplant 1,010, is below a temperature of air entering the air separationplant 1,010 along line 1,002. Hence, line 1,011 directs nitrogen to theprecooler 1,005 for cooling of the incoming air in line 1,002. Thenitrogen then exits the precooler 1,005 along line 1,013 and is thenutilized to cool carbon dioxide (CO2) generated as combustion productsof the system 1,000 as discussed in detail below. The nitrogen in line1,013, after being utilized to cool the CO2, can be released into theatmosphere along line 1,015. Because nitrogen constitutes overthree-quarters of air no contamination of the atmosphere results fromdischarge of the nitrogen into the atmosphere from line 1,015.

[0126] The oxygen exiting the air separation plant 1,010 passes alongline 1,012 and is fed to oxygen feed lines 1,014 and 1,016. The oxygenfeed line 1,016 passes into a combustor 1,020. The combustor 1,020additionally includes a fuel feed line 1,018 leading from a source offuel into the combustor 1,020. While various different hydrocarbon fuelscan be utilized in the combustor 1,020, including simple hydrocarbonsand light alcohols, the fuel is preferably methane. The combustor 1,020additionally has water fed into the combustor 1,020 along line 1,102 toprovide cooling within the combustor 1,020 and to increase a mass flowrate of combustion products exiting the combustor 1,020 along line1,022. Preferably, the combustor 1,020 includes an ignition device andis constructed in a manner to operate at a high temperature and highpressure. Specifically, the combustor could operate at a pressure of1,200 psia and 1,600° F., if near term existing technology componentsare utilized and up to 3,200 psia and 3,200° F. if known hardwaredesigns, which are not yet readily available but are anticipated to beavailable in the long term, are utilized.

[0127] One such combustor which exhibits the basic characteristicsnecessary for combustion of the hydrocarbon fuel with the oxygen andwhich allows for water injection and mixing with the combustion productsis described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,709,077 and provided by Clean EnergySystems, Inc. of Sacramento, Calif. The contents of this patent arehereby incorporated by reference into this description.

[0128] The combustion products exit the combustor 1,020 along line 1,022and are then directed to a high pressure turbine 1,030. While the highpressure turbine 1,030 is preferred, other expansion devices such aspistons could similarly be utilized. The high pressure turbine 1,030 ispreferably similar to that which has been demonstrated which featurehigh temperature, high pressure materials utilized as necessary tohandle the temperatures and pressures of the combustion products in theranges discussed above. One such turbine is manufactured by SolarTurbines, Inc. of San Diego, Calif.

[0129] The high pressure turbine 1,030 discharges the combustionproducts along line 1,032 which leads to the reheater 1,040. The highpressure turbine 1,030 also discharges power to shaft 1,034 which caneither be coupled directly to a generator 1,070, be utilized to providepower to another power absorption device such as a propulsion system ofa vehicle or a rotational power output shaft for a system requiring suchrotational power, or can be coupled to other turbines or compressors ofthis system 1,000.

[0130] The combustion products passing along line 1,032 enter thereheater 1,040 along with oxygen from line 1,014 and fuel such asmethane from fuel feed line 1,036. The reheater 1,040 is similar inconfiguration to the combustor 1,020 except that the combustion productsincluding both H2O and CO2 are directed into the reheater rather thanmerely H2O as with the combustor 1,020 and the pressure and temperatureof the combustion products entering the reheater 1,040 are greater thanthe temperature of the H2O entering the combustor 1,020 from the feedwater line 1,102.

[0131] The reheater 1,040 combusts the fuel from the fuel line 1,036with the oxygen from line 1,014 to produce additional combustionproducts including H2O and CO2. These combustion products generatedwithin the reheater are mixed with the combustion products entering thereheater from line 1,032 and originally generated within the combustor1,020. Preferably, the combined combustion products exit the reheater1,040 along line 1,042 and have a pressure of 120 psia and a temperatureof 2,600° F. if near term available components are used in the system1,000 and 220 psia and 3,200° F. if components available in the longterm are utilized in the system 1,000. The intermediate pressure turbine1,050 typically features turbine blade cooling and high temperaturematerials similar to the technology developed by the gas turbineindustry, i.e. General Electric, Solar Turbines, etc.

[0132] These combined combustion products including H2O and CO2 passalong line 1,042 and into intermediate pressure turbine 1,050. Afterexpansion within the intermediate pressure turbine 1,050 the combustionproducts exit the intermediate pressure turbine 1,050 through turbinedischarge 1,052. At the turbine discharge 1,052 the combustion productspreferably have a pressure of 12 psia and a temperature of 1,400° F. ifnear term available components are used in the system 1,000 and 15 psiaand 2,000° F. if long term available components are used in the system1,000.

[0133] The intermediate pressure turbine 1,050 is additionally coupledto a power output shaft 1,054 which can either be coupled directly tothe generator 1,070, or utilized to drive other components within thesystem 1,000 or provide rotational power output from the system 1,000.Preferably, the power output shaft 1,034 from the high pressure turbine1,030 and the power output shaft 1,054 from the intermediate pressureturbine 1,050 are joined together and coupled to the generator 1,070.

[0134] The combustion products exiting the intermediate pressure turbine1,050 along turbine discharge line 1,052 pass through a feed waterpreheater 1,100 which provides preheating for the H2O passing along line1,102 and entering the combustor 1,020. After the combustion productspass through the feed water preheater 1,100, the combustion productspass along line 1,056 into the low pressure turbine 1,060. Thecombustion products preferably nearly maintain their pressure throughthe feed water preheater 1,100 but decrease in temperature, preferablyby approximately 200° F. The combustion products then enter the lowpressure turbine 1,060 where the combustion products are furtherexpanded and discharged along line 1,062.

[0135] The low pressure turbine 1,060 is preferably coupled to thegenerator 1,070 through a power output shaft 1,064 which is in turncoupled to power output shaft 1,034 and 1,054. The generator 1,070 caneither provide rotational shaft power to rotational equipment such ascompressors and other components of the system 1,000 requiringrotational shaft power or can generate electricity and utilize thatelectricity to power various components of the system 1,000. Forinstance, power from the generator 1,070 can be directed along line1,072 to the air separation plant 1,010 to provide power to the airseparation plant 1,010 as necessary to separate the oxygen from thenitrogen. Power can be transmitted from the generator 1,070 along line1,074 to a CO2 compressor 1,110 discussed in detail below or along line1,076 to a CO2 pump 1,140 discussed in detail below or can be outputtedfrom the system along line 1,078 for delivery as electric power to apower grid or as electric power or shaft power to provide power in anymanner desired.

[0136] The combustion products exiting the low pressure turbine 1,060along line 1,062 preferably include only H2O and CO2. Alternatively, ifthe air separation plant 1,010 does not completely separate oxygen fromother air constituents, or contaminates are introduced into thecombustion products from the fuel, some additional constituents may bepresent within the combustion products. If such additional constituentsare present, they can be removed from the H2O and CO2 combustionproducts or handled along with the H2O or CO2 combustion products.

[0137] The combustion products pass along line 1,062 into the condenser1,080. The condenser 1,080 provides one form of a combustion productsseparator. The condenser 1,080 is cooled with a coolant such as H2Opassing through the condenser 1,080 along line 1,082. This coolantmaintains conditions within the condenser 1,080 at a temperature andpressure at which most of the H2O condenses into a liquid phase and CO2remains in a gaseous phase. Preferably, these conditions within thecondenser are 1.5-2.0 psia and 80-100° F.

[0138] A condenser liquid outlet leads to line 1,084 which in turn leadsto a feed water pump 1,090. The feed water pump 1,090 increases apressure of the H2O exiting the condenser 1,080 along line 1,084 anddischarges the elevated pressure H2O along line 1,092. Excess H2O can beremoved from line 1,092 along line 1,094. Remaining H2O passes alongline 1,096 to the feed water preheater 1,100. The H2O then exits thefeed water preheater 1,100 along line 1,102 for return to the combustor1,020 as discussed above.

[0139] The condenser 1,080 includes a gaseous products of combustionoutlet which leads to a line 1,086. The gaseous products of combustionexiting the condenser 1,080 along line 1,086 are primarily CO2. However,some H2O vapor would typically be present in the gaseous CO2 and exitthe condenser 1,080 along line 1,086.

[0140] The line 1,086 leads to CO2 compressor 1,110. The CO2 compressor1,110 can either be driven from one of the turbines 1,030, 1,050, 1,060or from power from the generator 1,070 or from any other appropriatepower source. The CO2 compressor 1,110 elevates the pressure of thegaseous products of combustion entering the CO2 compressor 1,110 alongline 1,086 to a pressure at which CO2 can be liquefied.

[0141] The CO2 compressor discharges the gaseous combustion productsalong line 1,112 which leads to a cooler/condenser 1,120. Thecooler/condenser 1,120 is cooled with a coolant such as H2O passingalong line 1,122 in the cooler/condenser 1,120. With the increase inpressure resulting from passage through the CO2 compressor 1,110 and thedecreasing temperature resulting from the cooler/condenser 1,120, thenon-CO2 gaseous products of combustion with boiling points higher thanCO2, such as water vapor, are further encouraged to condense into aliquid phase for removal. A liquid outlet from the cooler/condenser1,120 leads to line 1,124 where H2O condensed within thecooler/condenser 1,120 is returned to line 1,084 and passed to the feedwater pump 1,090. The remaining gaseous products of combustion areprimarily CO2 passing along line 1,126. A small amount of water vaporand some other gases such as argon, oxygen and nitrogen may still bepresent along with the CO2. Because argon, oxygen and nitrogen are notpresent in large amounts, they can typically be allowed to remain alongwith the CO2 or removed after liquefaction of the CO2 as discussedbelow. Alternatively, argon can be collected for use or sale from line1,134.

[0142] The CO2 passes along line 1,126 to a drier 1,128 containingmolecular sieves to remove the remaining moisture and exits the drier1,128 via line 1,129. Line 1,129 leads to a cooler 1,130. The cooler1,130 chills the CO2 passing along line 1,129 to a temperature below aliquefaction temperature of CO2 so that the CO2 is liquefied.Preferably, the CO2 is cooled to a temperature of −40° F. at a pressureof 145 psia and exits the cooler 1,130 along line 1,132. The cooler1,130 can be powered in a variety of different manners to provideappropriate heat removal from the CO2 passing through the cooler 1,130.Preferably, the cooler 1,130 draws heat from the CO2 by routing coolednitrogen from the air separation plant 1,010 along lines 1,011 and 1,013through a heat exchanger with the CO2 passing along line 1,129 toproduce the desired cooling of the CO2 before exiting the cooler 1,130along line 1,132. If non-liquefaction air separation techniques areutilized in the air separation plant 1,010, other refrigeration typesystems could be utilized in the cooler 1,030 to appropriately cool theCO2 into a liquid phase.

[0143] The liquid CO2 can be separated from any gases which haveremained with the CO2 along line 1,132, such as argon or other tracegases which may have passed through the system 1,000. The argon or othertrace gases exit cooler 1,130 via line 1,134 and are vented to theatmosphere or ducted to an argon recovery system and/or other recoverysystem as appropriate to economic and emission considerations. Theliquid CO2 passes along line 1,132 to a CO2 pump 1,140. The CO2 pump1,140 can be powered by one of the turbines 1,030, 1050, 1060 or fromelectricity produced by the generator 1,070 or from other separate powersources.

[0144] The CO2 pump 1,140 preferably pressurizes the CO2 to a pressurematching a pressure which exists at the depth within a terrestrialformation at which the CO2 is to be injected after leaving the pump1,140 along line 1,142. Typically, such pressures would be between 3,000and 10,000 psia. Such pressures should not exceed the fracture pressuresof the formation. Preferably, the pressure of the CO2 in the injectionwell at the face of the subterranean formation in which the CO2 is to beinjected should range from a minimum pressure of 10 psi above thepressure of the fluid in the formation to a maximum pressure that isobtained by multiplying the depth of the formation by a factor of 0.8psi per foot of depth.

[0145] By liquefying the CO2 before pressurizing it to these highpressures, significantly less energy is required. Alternatively, the CO2stream exiting secondary cooler/condenser 1,120 via line 1,126 may becompressed through additional stages of compression to a super criticalfluid at the desired pressure rather than liquefied and pumped to a highpressure. The alternative is less energy efficient but may be moreeconomical because of lower capital and/or operating costs.

[0146] One means to deliver the CO2 includes use of a pipeline or mobiletank system to transport the CO2 to an injection interface, such as awell head, above the sequestration site.

[0147] The terrestrial formation in which CO2 injection occurs wouldtypically be below the water table and can be in the form of ageological porous formation which has been evacuated of liquid fossilfuels and for which an existing well already exists with a casingcapable of handling the pressures involved. Otherwise, wells can bedrilled into the designated geological formations and then appropriatecasings provided in the well so that migration of the CO2 back up to thesurface and into the surrounding atmosphere is mitigated. A desirablethickness of the formation into which the brine is to be injected is 200feet or more. Moreover, the CO2 needs to be compatible with formationfluids in order to minimize reduction of injectivity, or plugging orother formation damage.

[0148] Alternatively, the terrestrial formation can be a deep confinedaquifer or a deep ocean location. The high pressure CO2 can be pumpeddown into a deep aquifer, sea or ocean location. If the discharge of theCO2 is sufficiently deep, the CO2 can remain in a liquid form upondischarge and will not evaporate into a gaseous phase and migrate to thesurface. Other porous geological formations where CO2 can be sequesteredinclude salt caverns, sulfur caverns and sulfur domes.

[0149] Once the CO2 has been separated from other combustion products itcould be utilized for various different industrial processes where CO2is required, such that the CO2 is not released into the atmosphere.

[0150] With particular reference to FIG. 18, a flow chart is providedwhich identifies the materials which are entered into and dischargedfrom system 1,000. Initially air is drawn into an air separator andnitrogen gas is released from the air separator. Because nitrogen gasalready constitutes over three-quarters of air, no pollution of theatmosphere results from this release of nitrogen. Remaining portions ofthe air are passed into a gas generator along with a hydrocarbon fueland water where combustion takes place and combustion products aregenerated. The combustion products are passed through an expander. Poweris released from the expander for any desired use. The combustionproducts are then passed on to a condenser where H2O is released. H2Oadditionally is not a contaminant of the atmosphere and can be used fora variety of beneficial purposes and recycled for use in the gasgenerator. Remaining combustion products exit the condenser and arecompressed and pumped to pressures necessary for their injection into aterrestrial formation. Once injected into the terrestrial formation theCO2 is isolated from the atmosphere and the potentially detrimentaleffects of release of large quantities of CO2 into the atmosphere interms of global warming and other potential negative atmospheric andenvironmental effects are thwarted.

[0151] Moreover, having thus described the invention it should now beapparent that various different modifications could be resorted towithout departing from the scope of the invention as disclosed hereinand as identified in the included claims. The above description isprovided to disclose the best mode for practicing this invention and toenable one skilled in the art to practice this invention but should notbe construed to limit the scope of the invention disclosed herein.

What is claimed is: 1- A combustion engine providing clean power forvarious applications and featuring low NOx production and low CO2release into the atmosphere, comprising in combination; a source of air,the air including nitrogen and oxygen; a source of fuel, the fuelincluding hydrogen and carbon; an air separator having an inlet coupledto said source of air, a nitrogen separator, an oxygen enriched airoutlet, and a nitrogen outlet separate from said oxygen enriched airoutlet, such that at least a portion of the nitrogen is removed from theair entering said inlet; a fuel combustor, said fuel combustor receivingfuel from said source of fuel and oxygen enriched air from said outletof said air separator through an oxygen enriched air inlet adapted todeliver substantially H2O free oxygen enriched air into said fuelcombustor, said combustor combusting the fuel with the oxygen enrichedair to produce elevated pressure and elevated temperature combustionproducts including H2O and CO2, said combustor having a discharge forsaid combustion products; a combustion products separator whichseparates at least a portion of the H2O from other combustion productsincluding CO2 coupled to said discharge and including an H2O outlet andan exhaust for the other combustion products including CO2; a compressorcoupled to said exhaust, said compressor pressurizing fluids passingthere through to a pressure above atmospheric pressure; and aterrestrial formation injection system downstream from said compressor,said injection system coupled to said compressor and to a terrestrialformation beneath the atmosphere, said terrestrial formation capable ofholding CO2 therein. 2- The combustion engine of claim 1 wherein saidcombustion products separator includes a condenser, said condenserhaving a temperature and pressure therein at which H2O condenses into aliquid phase and at which CO2 remains in a gaseous phase. 3- Thecombustion engine of claim 2 wherein a cooler is oriented between saidexhaust of said combustion products separator and said injection system,said cooler having sufficient capability to cool CO2 exiting saidcombustion products separator at said exhaust to a temperature below aliquefaction temperature for CO2, such that the CO2 is liquefied. 4- Thecombustion engine of claim 3 wherein said air separator includes meansto cool the air from said source of air to a temperature at which oxygenin the air liquefies for separation of the oxygen from the nitrogen, atleast a portion of the nitrogen removed from the air directed to saidcooler for cooling of the CO2 exiting said exhaust of said combustionproducts separator. 5- The combustion engine of claim 3 wherein a CO2pump is located between said cooler and said terrestrial formationinjection system, said CO2 pump increasing a pressure of the CO2 exitingthe exhaust of the combustion products separator while the CO2 is in aliquid state. 6- The combustion engine of claim 3 wherein a combustionproduct expansion device is interposed between said discharge of saidfuel combustor and said condenser, said combustion product expansiondevice including means to output power from said engine, said power atleast partially used to supply operative power to said air separator andsaid compressor; wherein at least a portion of the H2O exiting saidcondenser through said H2O outlet is routed through a fluid conduit tosaid fuel combustor where the H2O is combined with said combustionproducts to decrease a temperature of the combustion products andincrease an amount of H2O exiting said discharge of said fuel combustor;wherein said combustion product expansion device includes three turbinesincluding a high pressure turbine located downstream from said dischargeof said fuel combustor and upstream from a reheater, said reheaterreceiving fuel from said source of fuel and oxygen enriched air fromsaid outlet of said air separator, said reheater combusting the fuelwith the oxygen enriched air to produce combustion products includingH2O and CO2, said reheater also receiving H2O and CO2 from said highpressure turbine and mixing said H2O and said CO2 from said highpressure turbine with said H2O and said CO2 generated within saidreheater; and an intermediate turbine located downstream from saidreheater and upstream from a low pressure turbine, a feed waterpreheater interposed between an intermediate pressure turbine dischargeand an inlet to said low pressure turbine, said feed water preheaterincluding means to increase a temperature of the H2O exiting said H2Ooutlet of said condenser before said H2O is directed back into said fuelcombustor. 7- The combustion engine of claim 3 wherein acooler/condenser is located between said compressor and said cooler,said cooler/condenser including means to condense additional H2O vaporexiting said condenser through said exhaust. 8- The combustion engine ofclaim 5 wherein said CO2 pump includes means to pressurize the fluidspassing there through to a pressure which results in a pressure at saidformation of between 10 psia above a pressure of the fluid in saidformation and 0.8 psia per foot of depth of said formation. 9- Thecombustion engine of claim 1 wherein said injection system is configuredto deliver the combustion products other than H2O and including CO2beneath the surface of an ocean. 10- The combustion engine of claim 9wherein said injection system is configured to deliver the combustionproducts including CO2 into a porous underground geological formation.11- The combustion engine of claim 1 wherein said exhaust of saidcombustion products separator discharges primarily CO2 and saidcompressor pressurizes the CO2 until the CO2 becomes a super criticalfluid. 12- The combustion engine of claim 1 wherein said terrestrialformation injection system is configured to deliver the combustionproducts including CO2 into an aquifer. 13- A combustion engineproviding clean power for various applications and featuring low NOxproduction and low CO2 release into the atmosphere, comprising incombination: a source of air, the air including nitrogen and oxygen; asource of fuel, the fuel including hydrogen and carbon; an air separatorhaving an inlet coupled to said source of air, a nitrogen separator, anoxygen enriched air outlet, and a nitrogen outlet separate from saidoxygen enriched air outlet, such that at least a portion of the nitrogenis removed from the air entering said inlet; a fuel combustor, said fuelcombustor receiving fuel from said source of fuel and oxygen enrichedair from said outlet of said air separator through an oxygen enrichedair inlet adapted to deliver substantially H2O free oxygen enriched airinto said fuel combustor, said combustor combusting the fuel with theoxygen enriched air to produce elevated pressure and elevatedtemperature combustion products including H2O and CO2, said combustorhaving a discharge for said combustion products; a combustion productexpansion device coupled to said discharge of said combustion device,said expansion device outputting power from said system and having anexhaust for said combustion products; a condenser coupled to saidexhaust, said condenser having an H2O outlet for liquid H2O and agaseous combustion product outlet, said condenser configured such thatthe CO2 remains gaseous and exits said combustor through said gaseouscombustion product outlet; a compressor coupled to said gaseouscombustion product outlet, said compressor compressing said gaseouscombustion products to above atmospheric pressure;/and a terrestrialformation injection system coupled to said compressor and to aterrestrial formation beneath the atmosphere, said terrestrial formationcapable of holding CO2 therein. 14- The system of claim 13 wherein saidcompressor has sufficient capability to compress gases passing therethrough to a pressure at which a liquid phase of CO2 can exist. 15- Thesystem of claim 13 wherein a cooler is interposed between said condenserand said terrestrial formation injection system, said cooler havingsufficient capability to cool the gaseous combustion products to atemperature at which CO2 transitions into a liquid phase. 16- The systemof claim 15 wherein said terrestrial formation injection system includesa liquid CO2 pump, said liquid CO2 pump including means to furtherpressurize the CO2 passing there through to a pressure corresponding toa pressure existing at a depth within the terrestrial formation intowhich the terrestrial formation injection system is connected, such thatthe CO2 can be delivered into the terrestrial formation at the desireddepth and without release of the CO2 into the atmosphere. 17- Acombustion engine providing clean power for various applications andfeaturing low NOx production, comprising in combination: a source ofair, the air including nitrogen and oxygen; a source of fuel, the fuelincluding hydrogen and carbon; an air treatment device having an inletcoupled to said source of air, and having an outlet, said air treatmentdevice including means to remove at least a portion of the nitrogen fromthe air entering said inlet; a fuel combustion device, said fuelcombustion device receiving fuel from said source of fuel and oxygenenriched air from said outlet of said air treatment device through anoxygen enriched air inlet adapted to deliver substantially H2O freeoxygen enriched air into said fuel combustion device, said combustiondevice combusting said fuel with the oxygen enriched air to produceelevated pressure and elevated temperature combustion products includingsteam, said combustion device having a discharge for said combustionproducts; a combustion product expansion device coupled to saiddischarge of said combustion device, said expansion device outputtingpower from said engine; wherein said source of fuel includes fuel havingboth hydrogen and carbon therein; wherein said fuel combustion deviceproduces elevated pressure and elevated temperature combustion productsincluding H2O and CO2; and wherein said expansion device includes anexhaust for said combustion products including H2O and CO2, said exhaustupstream from a condenser, said condenser having an H2O outlet forliquid H2O and a gaseous combustion product outlet, said gaseouscombustion products being a majority CO2, said condenser configured suchthat the CO2 remains gaseous and exits said condenser through saidgaseous combustion product outlet; whereby CO2 generated by said engineis separated from other combustion products for further storage,handling and disposal of the CO2. 18- The engine of claim 17 whereinsaid gaseous combustion product outlet of said condenser is coupled to acompressor, said compressor including means to compress the gaseouscombustion products including CO2 to a pressure above atmosphericpressure; and a terrestrial formation injection system coupled to saidcompressor and to a terrestrial formation beneath the atmosphere, saidterrestrial formation capable of holding CO2 therein without substantialrelease of CO2 into the atmosphere. 19- The system of claim 18 whereinsaid compressor includes means to compress said gaseous combustionproducts including CO2 to a pressure at which CO2 can exist in a liquidphase; said compressor having an outlet coupled to a cooler, said coolerincluding means to cool gaseous combustion products including CO2exiting said compressor to a temperature below a liquefactiontemperature of CO2, such that CO2 within the gaseous combustion productsis liquefied; and a CO2 pump including means to pressurize saidliquefied CO2 up to a pressure corresponding to a pressure at a depthwithin said terrestrial formation at which said injection system isconfigured to inject the CO2. 20- A combustion engine providing cleanpower for various applications and featuring low NOx production and lowCO2 release into the atmosphere, comprising in combination; a source ofair, the air including nitrogen and oxygen; a source of fuel, the fuelincluding hydrogen and carbon; an air separator having an inlet coupledto said source of air, a nitrogen separator, an oxygen enriched airoutlet, and a nitrogen outlet separate from said oxygen enriched airoutlet, such that at least a portion of the nitrogen is removed from theair entering said inlet; a fuel combustor, said fuel combustor receivingfuel from said source of fuel and oxygen enriched air from said outletof said air separator, said combustor combusting the fuel with theoxygen enriched air to produce elevated pressure and elevatedtemperature combustion products including H2O and CO2, said combustorhaving a discharge for said combustion products; a combustion productsseparator which separates at least a portion of the H2O from othercombustion products including CO2, said combustion products separatordownstream from said discharge and including an H2O outlet and anexhaust for the other combustion products including CO2, said H2O outletcoupled to an H2O diluent path leading to an H2O inlet into saidcombustor, said H2O diluent path spaced from an oxygen enriched airinlet into said combustor; a compressor coupled to said exhaust, saidcompressor pressurizing fluids passing there through to a pressure aboveatmospheric pressure; and a terrestrial formation injection systemdownstream from said compressor, said injection system coupled to saidcompressor and to a terrestrial formation beneath the atmosphere, saidterrestrial formation capable of holding CO2 therein. 21- A combustionengine providing clean power for various applications and featuring lowNOx production and low CO2 release into the atmosphere, comprising incombination: a source of air, the air including nitrogen and oxygen; asource of fuel, the fuel including hydrogen and carbon; an air separatorhaving an inlet coupled to said source of air, a nitrogen separator, anoxygen enriched air outlet, and a nitrogen outlet separate from saidoxygen enriched air outlet, such that at least a portion of the nitrogenis removed from the air entering said inlet; a fuel combustor, said fuelcombustor receiving fuel from said source of fuel and oxygen enrichedair from said outlet of said air separator, said combustor combustingthe fuel with the oxygen enriched air to produce elevated pressure andelevated temperature combustion products including H2O and CO2, saidcombustor having a discharge for said combustion products; a combustionproduct expansion device coupled to said discharge of said combustiondevice, said expansion device outputting power from said system andhaving an exhaust for said combustion products; a condenser downstreamfrom said exhaust, said condenser having an H2O outlet for liquid H2Oand a gaseous combustion product outlet, said condenser configured suchthat the CO2 remains gaseous and exits said combustor through saidgaseous combustion product outlet, said H2O outlet coupled to an H2Odiluent path leading to an H2O inlet into said combustor, said H2Odiluent path spaced from an oxygen enriched air inlet into saidcombustor; a compressor coupled to said gaseous combustion productoutlet, said compressor compressing said gaseous combustion products toabove atmospheric pressure; and a terrestrial formation injection systemcoupled to said compressor and to a terrestrial formation beneath theatmosphere, said terrestrial formation capable of holding CO2 therein.22- A combustion engine providing clean power for various applicationsand featuring low NOx production, comprising in combination: a source ofair, the air including nitrogen and oxygen; a source of fuel, the fuelincluding hydrogen and carbon; an air treatment device having an inletcoupled to said source of air, and having an outlet, said air treatmentdevice including means to remove at least a portion of the nitrogen fromthe air entering said inlet; a fuel combustion device, said fuelcombustion device receiving fuel from said source of fuel and oxygenenriched air from said outlet of said air treatment device, saidcombustion device combusting said fuel with the oxygen enriched air toproduce elevated pressure and elevated temperature combustion productsincluding steam, said combustion device having a discharge for saidcombustion products; a combustion product expansion device coupled tosaid discharge of said combustion device, said expansion deviceoutputting power from said engine; wherein said source of fuel includesfuel having both hydrogen and carbon therein; wherein said fuelcombustion device produces elevated pressure and elevated temperaturecombustion products including H2O and CO2; and wherein said expansiondevice includes an exhaust for said combustion products including H2Oand CO2, said exhaust upstream from a condenser, said condenser havingan H2O outlet for liquid H2O and a gaseous combustion product outlet,said H2O outlet coupled to an H2O diluent path leading to an H2O inletinto said combustion device, said H2O diluent path spaced from an oxygenenriched air inlet into said combustion device, said gaseous combustionproducts being a majority CO2, said condenser configured such that theCO2 remains gaseous and exits said condenser through said gaseouscombustion product outlet; whereby CO2 generated by said engine isseparated from other combustion products for further storage, handlingand disposal of the CO2. 23- A combustion engine providing clean powerfor various applications and featuring low NOx production and low CO2release into the atmosphere, comprising in combination: a source of air,the air including nitrogen and oxygen; a source of fuel, the fuelincluding hydrogen and carbon; an air separator having an inlet coupledto said source of air, a nitrogen separator, an oxygen enriched airoutlet, and a nitrogen outlet separate from said oxygen enriched airoutlet, such that at least a portion of the nitrogen is removed from theair entering said inlet; a fuel combustor, said fuel combustor receivingfuel from said source of fuel and oxygen enriched air from said oxygenenriched air outlet of said air separator through an oxygen enriched airinlet adapted to deliver substantially H2O free oxygen enriched air intosaid fuel combustor, said combustor combusting the fuel with the oxygenenriched air to produce elevated pressure and elevated temperaturecombustion products including H2O and CO2, said combustor having adischarge for said combustion products; a combustion product expansiondevice located downstream from said discharge of said combustion device,said expansion device outputting power from said system and having anexhaust for said combustion products; a combustion products separatordownstream from said exhaust, said separator having a first outlet forcombustion products including H2O and a second gaseous combustionproduct outlet, said combustion products separator configured such thatat least a portion of the CO2 remains gaseous and at least a portion ofthe CO2 exits said combustor through said second gaseous combustionproduct outlet; said first outlet containing a stream of combustionproducts from said separator having a greater percentage of H2O than apercentage of H2O in the combustion products entering said separator,such that the stream of combustion products passing through said firstoutlet is H2O enriched; a compressor located downstream from saidgaseous combustion product outlet, said compressor compressing saidgaseous combustion products to above atmospheric pressure; and aterrestrial formation injection system located downstream from saidcompressor and upstream from a terrestrial formation beneath theatmosphere, said terrestrial formation capable of holding CO2 therein.24- The system of claim 23 wherein said first outlet recirculates backinto said system upstream of said expansion device. 25- The system ofclaim 24 wherein said first outlet recirculates at least a portion ofthe combustion products including H2O into said combustor. 26- Thesystem of claim 23 wherein said compressor has sufficient capability tocompress gases passing there through to a pressure at which a liquidphase of CO2 can exist; and wherein said terrestrial formation injectionsystem includes a liquid CO2 pump, said liquid CO2 pump including meansto further pressurize the CO2 passing there through to a pressurecorresponding to a fluid pressure existing at a depth within theterrestrial formation into which the terrestrial formation injectionsystem is connected, such that the CO2 can be delivered into theterrestrial formation at the desired depth and without release of theCO2 into the atmosphere. 27- A combustion engine providing clean powerfor various applications and featuring low NOx production and low CO2release into the Earth's atmosphere, comprising in combination: a sourceof air, the air including nitrogen and oxygen; a source of fuel, thefuel including hydrogen and carbon; an air treatment device having aninlet coupled to said source of air, and having an outlet, said airtreatment device including a nitrogen separator, such that at least aportion of the nitrogen is removed from the air entering said inlet; afuel combustor, said fuel combustor receiving fuel from said source offuel and O2 enriched air from said outlet of said air treatment devicethrough an oxygen enriched air inlet adapted to deliver substantiallyH2O free oxygen enriched air into said fuel combustor, said combustorcombusting said fuel with the oxygen enriched air to produce elevatedpressure and elevated temperature combustion products including steamand carbon dioxide, said combustor having a discharge for saidcombustion products; a combustion product expander located downstreamfrom said discharge of said combustor, said expander outputting powerfrom said engine and having an exhaust for said combustion products;wherein said fuel combustor produces elevated pressure and elevatedtemperature combustion products including H2O and CO2; a combustionproducts separator located downstream of said combustor exhaust, saidseparator including an H2O outlet for an H2O enriched stream of thecombustion products and a CO2 outlet for a CO2 enriched stream of thecombustion products; wherein said CO2 rich combustion product outlet ofsaid separator is located upstream from a compressor, said compressorcompressing the gaseous combustion products including CO2 to a pressureabove atmospheric pressure; and a terrestrial formation injection systemlocated downstream from said compressor and upstream from a terrestrialformation beneath the atmosphere, said terrestrial formation capable ofholding CO2 therein without substantial release of CO2 into theatmosphere. 28- The engine of claim 27 wherein said separator receivesall of said combustion products exiting said exhaust. 29- The engine ofclaim 27 wherein said expander exhaust is located upstream from acondenser, said condenser having an H2O outlet for liquid H2O and agaseous combustion product outlet, said gaseous combustion productsbeing a majority CO2, said condenser configured such that the CO2remains gaseous and exits said condenser through said gaseous combustionproduct outlet; whereby CO2 generated by said engine is separated fromother combustion products for further storage, handling and disposal ofthe CO2. 30- The engine of claim 27 wherein said nitrogen separator ofsaid air treatment device includes a means to remove at least a portionof the nitrogen from the air entering said inlet of said air treatmentdevice. 31- The engine of claim 27 wherein said H2O outlet is coupled toa fluid conduit directing at least a portion of the H2O rich stream ofcombustion products passing through said H2O outlet back into saidengine upstream of said combustion product expander. 32- The engine ofclaim 27 wherein at least a portion of the CO2 enriched combustionproducts exiting said CO2 outlet are routed to a condenser, saidcondenser condensing at least a portion of H2O remaining within the CO2enriched combustion products entering said condenser, said condensed H2Oexiting said condenser and routed back into said system upstream fromsaid combustion product expansion device. 33- The engine of claim 27wherein said fuel combustor includes an H2O inlet coupled to apressurized source of H2O said H2O inlet delivery H2O into saidcombustor to control a temperature of the combustion products in saidcombustor and exiting said combustor. 34- A combustion device producingcarbon dioxide for various applications and featuring low NOx productionand low CO2 release into the atmosphere, comprising in combination: asource of air, the air including nitrogen and oxygen; a source of fuel,the fuel including hydrogen and carbon; an air separator having an inletcoupled to said source of air, a nitrogen separator, an oxygen enrichedair outlet, and a nitrogen outlet separate from said oxygen enriched airoutlet, such that at least a portion of the nitrogen is removed from theair entering said inlet; a fuel combustor, said fuel combustor receivingfuel from said source of fuel and oxygen enriched air from said outletof said air separator through an oxygen enriched air inlet adapted todeliver substantially H2O free oxygen enriched air into said fuelcombustor, said combustor combusting the fuel with the oxygen enrichedair to produce elevated pressure and elevated temperature combustionproducts including H2O and CO2, said combustor having a discharge forsaid combustion products; a combustion products separator downstreamfrom said combustor device which separates at least a portion of the H2Ofrom other combustion products including CO2 downstream from saiddischarge and including an H2O outlet for an H2O rich stream of thecombustion products and an exhaust for the other combustion productsincluding CO2; a compressor downstream from said exhaust, saidcompressor pressurizing fluids passing there through to a pressure aboveatmospheric pressure; and a terrestrial formation injection systemdownstream from said compressor, said injection system leading to aterrestrial formation beneath the atmosphere, said terrestrial formationcapable of holding CO2 therein. 35- The combustion device of claim 34wherein at least a portion of the H2O exiting said combustion productsseparator through said H2O outlet is routed through a fluid conduit tosaid fuel combustor where the H2O is combined with said combustionproducts to decrease a temperature of the combustion products andincrease an amount of H2O exiting said discharge of said fuel combustor.36- The combustion device of claim 34 wherein said combustion productsseparator includes a condenser, said condenser having a temperature andpressure therein at which at least a portion of the H2O in thecombustion products condenses into a liquid phase and at which at leasta portion of the CO2 in the combustion products remains in a gaseousphase. 37- The combustion device of claim 34 wherein a mass fraction ofH2O in the said H2O rich stream of the combustion products is greaterthan a mass fraction of other components in said H2O rich stream of thecombustion products. 38- The combustion device of claim 34 wherein theterrestrial formation is a subterranean formation which contains atleast some hydrocarbons therein, the subterranean formation beingpenetrated by one or more wells, an injection system capable ofinjecting combustion products including CO2 into the hydrocarboncontaining formation such that recovery of hydrocarbons from thehydrocarbon containing formation is enhanced. 39- The combustion deviceof claim 34 wherein a CO2 pump is located downstream from saidcompressor and upstream of said terrestrial formation injection system,said CO2 pump increasing a pressure of the CO2 exiting the exhaust ofthe combustion products separator while the CO2 is at least partially ina liquid state. 40- The combustion device of claim 39 wherein said CO2pump includes means to pressurize the fluids passing there through to apressure which results in a pressure of between 10 psi above thepressure of the fluid in said formation and a pressure less than 0.8 psiper foot of depth of said formation. 41- The combustion device of claim34 wherein a combustion product expansion device is interposed betweensaid discharge of said fuel combustor and said separator, saidcombustion product expansion device including means to output power fromsaid engine. 42- The combustion device of claim 41 wherein said outputpower is at least partially used to supply operative power to said airseparator. 43- The combustion device of claim 41 wherein said combustionproduct expansion device includes at least two turbines including a highpressure turbine located downstream from said discharge of said fuelcombustor and upstream from a reheater, said reheater receiving fuelfrom said source of fuel and oxygen enriched air from said outlet ofsaid air separator, said reheater combusting the fuel with the oxygenenriched air to produce combustion products including H2O and CO2, saidreheater also receiving H2O and CO2 from said high pressure turbine andmixing at least a portion of said H2O and said CO2 from said highpressure turbine with at least a portion of said H2O and said CO2generated within said reheater. 44- The combustion device of claim 34wherein said injection system is configured to deliver at least aportion of the combustion products including CO2 into a terrestrialformation taken from the group of terrestrial formations including:beneath the surface of an ocean, into an aquifer, into a hydrocarboncontaining formation and into a porous underground geological formation.45- The combustion device of claim 34 wherein said exhaust of saidcombustion products separator discharges primarily CO2 and saidcompressor pressurizes the CO2 until the CO2 becomes a super criticalfluid. 46- A combustion engine providing clean power for variousapplications and featuring low NOx production and low CO2 release intothe atmosphere, comprising in combination: a source of air, the airincluding nitrogen and oxygen; a source of fuel, the fuel includinghydrogen and carbon; an air separator having an inlet coupled to saidsource of air, a nitrogen separator, an oxygen enriched air outlet, anda nitrogen outlet separate from said oxygen enriched air outlet, suchthat at least a portion of the nitrogen is removed from the air enteringsaid inlet; a fuel combustor, said fuel combustor receiving fuel fromsaid source of fuel and oxygen enriched air from said oxygen enrichedair outlet of said air separator, said combustor combusting the fuelwith the oxygen enriched air to produce elevated pressure and elevatedtemperature combustion products including H2O and CO2, said combustorhaving a discharge for said combustion products; a combustion productexpansion device located downstream from said discharge of saidcombustion device, said expansion device outputting power from saidsystem and having an exhaust for said combustion products; a combustionproducts separator downstream from said exhaust, said separator having afirst outlet for combustion products including H2O and a second gaseouscombustion product outlet, said first outlet coupled to an H2O diluentpath leading to an H2O inlet into said combustor, said H2O diluent pathspaced from an oxygen enriched air inlet into said combustor, saidcombustion products separator configured such that at least a portion ofthe CO2 remains gaseous and at least a portion of the CO2 exits saidcombustor through said second gaseous combustion product outlet; saidfirst outlet containing a stream of combustion products from saidseparator having a greater percentage of H2O than a percentage of H2O inthe combustion products entering said separator, such that the stream ofcombustion products passing through said first outlet is H2O enriched; acompressor located downstream from said gaseous combustion productoutlet, said compressor compressing said gaseous combustion products toabove atmospheric pressure; and a terrestrial formation injection systemlocated downstream from said compressor and upstream from a terrestrialformation beneath the atmosphere, said terrestrial formation capable ofholding CO2 therein. 47- A combustion engine providing clean power forvarious applications and featuring low NOx production and low CO2release into the Earth's atmosphere, comprising in combination: a sourceof air, the air including nitrogen and oxygen; a source of fuel, thefuel including hydrogen and carbon; an air treatment device having aninlet coupled to said source of air, and having an outlet, said airtreatment device including a nitrogen separator, such that at least aportion of the nitrogen is removed from the air entering said inlet; afuel combustor, said fuel combustor receiving fuel from said source offuel and oxygen enriched air from said outlet of said air treatmentdevice, said combustor combusting said fuel with the oxygen enriched airto produce elevated pressure and elevated temperature combustionproducts including steam and carbon dioxide, said combustor having adischarge for said combustion products; a combustion product expanderlocated downstream from said discharge of said combustor, said expanderoutputting power from said engine and having an exhaust for saidcombustion products; wherein said fuel combustor produces elevatedpressure and elevated temperature combustion products including H2O andCO2; a combustion products separator located downstream of saidcombustor exhaust, said separator including an H2O outlet for an H2Oenriched stream of the combustion products and a CO2 outlet for a CO2enriched stream of the combustion products, said H2O outlet coupled toan H2O diluent path leading to an H2O inlet into said combustor, saidH2O diluent path spaced from an oxygen enriched air inlet into saidcombustor; wherein said CO2 rich combustion product outlet of saidseparator is located upstream from a compressor, said compressorcompressing the gaseous combustion products including CO2 to a pressureabove atmospheric pressure; and a terrestrial formation injection systemlocated downstream from said compressor and upstream from a terrestrialformation beneath the atmosphere, said terrestrial formation capable ofholding CO2 therein without substantial release of CO2 into theatmosphere. 48- A combustion device producing carbon dioxide for variousapplications and featuring low NOx production and low CO2 release intothe atmosphere, comprising in combination: a source of air, the airincluding nitrogen and oxygen; a source of fuel, the fuel includinghydrogen and carbon; an air separator having an inlet coupled to saidsource of air, a nitrogen separator, an oxygen enriched air outlet, anda nitrogen outlet separate from said oxygen enriched air outlet, suchthat at least a portion of the nitrogen is removed from the air enteringsaid inlet; a fuel combustor, said fuel combustor receiving fuel fromsaid source of fuel and oxygen enriched air from said outlet of said airseparator, said combustor combusting the fuel with the oxygen enrichedair to produce elevated pressure and elevated temperature combustionproducts including H2O and CO2, said combustor having a discharge forsaid combustion products; a combustion products separator downstreamfrom said combustor device which separates at least a portion of the H2Ofrom other combustion products including CO2 downstream from saiddischarge and including an H2O outlet for an H2O rich stream of thecombustion products and an exhaust for the other combustion productsincluding CO2, said H2O outlet coupled to an H2O diluent path leading toan H2O inlet into said combustor, said H2O diluent path spaced from anoxygen enriched air inlet into said combustor; a compressor downstreamfrom said exhaust, said compressor pressurizing fluids passing therethrough to a pressure above atmospheric pressure; and a terrestrialformation injection system downstream from said compressor, saidinjection system leading to a terrestrial formation beneath theatmosphere, said terrestrial formation capable of holding CO2 therein.49- A combustion engine providing clean power for various applicationsand featuring low NOx production and low CO2 release into theatmosphere, comprising in combination: a source of air, the airincluding nitrogen and oxygen; a source of fuel, the fuel includinghydrogen and carbon; an air separator having an inlet coupled to saidsource of air, a means to separate at least a portion of the nitrogenfrom the oxygen, an oxygen enriched air outlet, and a nitrogen outletseparate from said oxygen enriched air outlet; a fuel combustor, saidfuel combustor receiving fuel from said source of fuel and oxygenenriched air from said oxygen enriched air outlet of said air separatorthrough an oxygen enriched air inlet adapted to deliver substantiallyH2O free oxygen enriched air into said fuel combustor, said combustorcombusting at least a portion of the fuel with at least a portion of theoxygen enriched air to produce elevated pressure and elevatedtemperature combustion products including H2O and CO2, said combustorhaving a discharge for said combustion products; a combustion productexpansion device located downstream from said discharge of saidcombustion device and having an exhaust for said combustion products; areheater downstream from said exhaust of said combustion productexpansion device, said reheater elevating a temperature of saidcombustion products entering said reheater; a combustion productsseparator downstream from said fuel combustor, said separator having afirst outlet for combustion products including H2O and a secondcombustion product outlet for at least a portion of the CO2; acompressor located downstream from said second combustion productoutlet, said compressor compressing said combustion products to aboveatmospheric pressure; and a terrestrial formation injection systemlocated downstream from said compressor and upstream from a terrestrialformation beneath the atmosphere, said terrestrial formation capable ofholding CO2 therein. 50- The combustion engine of claim 49 wherein saidcombustion products separator is located downstream from said reheater.51- The combustion engine of claim 49 wherein said reheater includes acombustion product inlet downstream from said exhaust of said combustionproduct expansion device and a fuel inlet, said reheater adapted tocombust said fuel to elevate the temperature of the combustion productswithin said reheater. 52- The combustion engine of claim 49 wherein saidreheater includes a combustion products inlet downstream from saidexhaust of said combustion product expansion device and an oxygenenriched air inlet downstream from said oxygen enriched air outlet ofsaid air separator, the reheater adapted to combust at least a portionof the oxygen in the oxygen enriched air within the reheater to elevatethe temperature of the combustion products. 53- The combustion engine ofclaim 52 wherein said reheater includes a fuel inlet downstream fromsaid source of fuel, said reheater adapted to combust at least a portionof the fuel from said source of fuel with at least a portion of theoxygen from said oxygen enriched air outlet of said air separator toboth produce additional elevated pressure and elevated temperaturecombustion products including H2O and CO2 and elevate a temperature ofsaid combustion products entering said reheater from said exhaust ofsaid combustion product expansion device. 54- The combustion engine ofclaim 53 wherein said fuel inlet and said oxygen enriched air inlet ofsaid reheater bring the fuel and the oxygen enriched air into directcontact with said combustion products entering said reheater from saidexhaust of said combustion product expansion device. 55- The combustionengine of claim 54 wherein said reheater includes an outlet for amixture of combustion products formed within said reheater andcombustion products entering said reheater through said combustionproduct inlet. 56- The combustion engine of claim 49 wherein a secondcombustion product expansion device is located downstream from an outletfor combustion products exiting said reheater. 57- The combustion engineof claim 56 wherein at least one of said expansion devices is adapted tooutput power from said system. 58- The combustion engine of claim 49wherein the terrestrial formation is a subterranean formation whichcontains at least some hydrocarbons therein, the subterranean formationbeing penetrated by one or more wells, an injection system capable ofinjecting combustion products including CO2 into the hydrocarboncontaining formation, such that recovery of hydrocarbons from thehydrocarbon containing formation is enhanced. 59- A combustion engineproviding clean power for various applications and featuring low NOxproduction and low CO2 release into the atmosphere, comprising incombination: a source of air, the air including nitrogen and oxygen; asource of fuel, the fuel including hydrogen and carbon; an air separatorhaving an inlet coupled to said source of air, a means to separate atleast a portion of the nitrogen from the oxygen, an oxygen enriched airoutlet, and a nitrogen outlet separate from said oxygen enriched airoutlet; a combustor, said combustor including a fuel inlet downstreamfrom said fuel source, an oxygen inlet adapted to deliver substantiallyH2O free oxygen into said combustor downstream from said oxygen enrichedair outlet of said air separator, and a discharge for a first workingfluid including products of combustion of the fuel from said fuel sourcewith the oxygen from said air separator, said first working fluidincluding H2O and CO2; a first expander located downstream from saidcombustor, said first expander having an outlet for said first workingfluid; and a reheater located downstream from said first expander, saidreheater elevating a temperature of the first working fluid enteringsaid reheater. 60- The combustion engine of claim 59 wherein saidreheater includes a fuel inlet coupled to a source of fuel includingcarbon and hydrogen, an oxygen inlet coupled to a source of oxidizer,the oxidizer having more oxygen than is present in air, a first workingfluid inlet downstream from said first expander outlet and a reheaterdischarge for a second working fluid comprised of the first workingfluid from said outlet of said first expander and products of combustionof the fuel from said fuel source and the oxidizer. 61- The combustionengine of claim 59 wherein said first expander is adapted to outputpower from said combustion engine. 62- The combustion engine of claim 59wherein a second expander is located downstream from said reheater, atleast one of said expanders adapted to output power from said combustionengine. 63- The combustion engine of claim 59 wherein said combustorincludes a water inlet coupled to a source of water, said water inletspaced from said oxygen inlet and adapted to direct water into saidcombustor. 64- The combustion engine of claim 63 wherein at least aportion of said water at said source of water includes water exitingdownstream from said reheater as a component of products of combustiongenerated within said combustion engine. 65- The combustion engine ofclaim 59 wherein a separator is located downstream from said reheater,said separator separating at least a portion of the water in saidworking fluid from a portion of the carbon dioxide in said workingfluid. 66- The combustion engine of claim 65 wherein said separatorincludes a CO2 outlet for a portion of said working fluid having agreater concentration of CO2 than the concentration of CO2 within theworking fluid; a compressor downstream of said separator outlet, saidcompressor compressing fluids therein to above atmospheric pressure; anda terrestrial formation injector located downstream from said compressorand upstream from a terrestrial formation beneath the atmosphere, saidterrestrial formation capable of holding CO2 therein. 67- A hydrocarboncombustion power generation system, comprising in combination: a sourceof air, the air including nitrogen and oxygen; a source of fuel, thefuel including hydrogen and carbon; an air separator having an inletcoupled to said source of air, a means to separate at least a portion ofthe nitrogen from the oxygen, an oxygen enriched air outlet, and anitrogen outlet separate from said oxygen enriched air outlet; acombustor downstream of said source of fuel and said oxygen enriched airoutlet of said air separator through an oxygen enriched air inletadapted to deliver substantially H2O free oxygen enriched air into saidcombustor, said combustor combusting the fuel with the oxygen enrichedair to produce elevated pressure and elevated temperature combustionproducts including H2O and CO2, said combustor having a discharge forsaid combustion products; a first combustion products expander locateddownstream from said discharge of said combustor; a reheater downstreamfrom said first combustion products expander; a second combustionproducts expander located downstream from said reheater; and at leastone of said expanders adapted to output power from said power generationsystem. 68- The power generation system of claim 67 wherein a separatoris located downstream from said reheater, said separator including a CO2outlet for collecting CO2 generated within the power generation system.69- The power generation system of claim 68 wherein a compressor islocated downstream from said CO2 outlet of said separator, saidcompressor compressing the CO2 to above atmospheric pressure, saidcompressor upstream from a terrestrial formation beneath the atmosphere,said terrestrial formation capable of holding CO2 therein. 70- The powergeneration system of claim 69 wherein power to drive said compressor isat least partially provided by power outputted from at least one of saidcombustion product expanders. 71- The power generation system of claim67 wherein at least a portion of the water in said combustion productsis produced within said combustor and is recirculated along a waterdiluent path leading to a water inlet adapted to direct water into saidcombustor, said water diluent path spaced from said oxygen enriched airinlet into said combustor. 72- A combustion engine providing clean powerfor various applications and featuring low NOx production and low CO2release into the atmosphere, comprising in combination: a source of air,the air including nitrogen and oxygen; a source of fuel, the fuelincluding hydrogen and carbon; an air separator having an inlet coupledto said source of air, a means to separate at least a portion of thenitrogen from the oxygen, an oxygen enriched air outlet, and a nitrogenoutlet separate from said oxygen enriched air outlet; a fuel combustor,said fuel combustor receiving fuel from said source of fuel and oxygenenriched air from said oxygen enriched air outlet of said air separator,said combustor combusting at least a portion of the fuel with at least aportion of the oxygen enriched air to produce elevated pressure andelevated temperature combustion products including H2O and CO2, saidcombustor having a discharge for said combustion products; a combustionproduct expansion device located downstream from said discharge of saidcombustion device and having an exhaust for said combustion products; areheater downstream from said exhaust of said combustion productexpansion device, said reheater elevating a temperature of saidcombustion products entering said reheater; a combustion productsseparator downstream from said fuel combustor, said separator having afirst outlet for combustion products including H2O and a secondcombustion product outlet for at least a portion of the CO2, said firstoutlet coupled to an H2O diluent path leading to an H2O inlet into saidcombustor, said H2O diluent path spaced from an oxygen enriched airinlet into said combustor; a compressor located downstream from saidsecond combustion product outlet, said compressor compressing saidcombustion products to above atmospheric pressure; and a terrestrialformation injection system located downstream from said compressor andupstream from a terrestrial formation beneath the atmosphere, saidterrestrial formation capable of holding CO2 therein.